Let's not forget the U10s...

Ha! Thought I forgot to mention the U10s eh? How could I not? After all, they did win their first tournament over the weekend! Yes! Official U10s Lititz Summer Showcase Champions 2009! I am so, so pleased for them because they deserved some success. Yes, we have had it tough in previous tournaments, only because we were coming up against very strong teams. However, this time, every single player really upped a level and I knew they would at some point because they are all potentially very good soccer players. First game though, we lost 7-2. Yes, 7-2. The score at half time was 2-2 and we were playing very well against a good side. But, once we lost an early goal in the second half, the team simply collapsed. Naturally, I was disappointed but I understand their rash need to give up because let's not forget, they are only 10 years old and under - one kid I have is only 8! Therefore, they are bound to easily give up. They are just young players who are developing, which of course is my job as a coach - to develop them. So I told them all after the game that I understand why they collapsed but we all just need to be a bit more mentally strong. Things turned better when we won our next game 7-1 against a fairly weak team - that gave the players a lot of confidence and I was looking forward to the next day of the tournament.

So I was awake, bright and early, for the eight o'clock kick off. Man, I love kick off times such as that one (said with a very sarcastic tone). I knew if we were to win this match, we would progress to the final to face the team that beat us 7-2. So a lot was at stake and I made sure the players knew that. All I asked of them was to give me their best, which is all they can do really. We played a great game and won 3-0. Through to the final - YES! Even though I was extremely happy, I was fairly upset as well as I knew I would be missing most of the final due to my commitments with my U13s. It's just a bit frustrating when you train a team for over a month and you have to miss the biggest game of their lives! But, that is life I suppose.

Once I finished the game with my U13s, I jumped to my car in one step (I have ridiculously long legs) and most probably broke the speed limit to get to the last 15 minutes of the U10s final. I ran over to my assistant and asked him what the score was - he looked over to me with the most serious of faces (he is a serious guy) and said, "We're two nil up". At first, I thought my reaction would be of disbelief - but it was not. Something in me on the way to the game was telling me that we were going to do well because those players are clearly capable of playing very good soccer. So, instead of replying with something like really, all I said was good, turned away and started coaching the game. In the end, we won the match 3-0. The kids went crazy when the whistle was blown but I was very pleased with how they composed themselves and shook hands with the opponents. I wanted to take a step back and allow the kids to enjoy their moment as they deserved it but the parents pushed me into the photos and everything. Thanks for that by the way!

As I said, I've been training these kids for over a month and I have seen improvements session by session. I could already see from the first practice we had how capable each of them are. One of the main factors of soccer is confidence - you may have the ability but if confidence is lacking, you will not do well on the field. On Sunday, July 26 2009, those U10 players were brimming with confidence and I am just so pleased for them. I've really enjoyed my time with them. Yes, there have been rough patches but that is what learning is all about. Great kids, great parents, great everything. That's me over and out.