My first full season as the head coach of my school's junior varsity ended last night with a 3-2 loss to our cross-town rival. As was this team's wont, we played down to the level of our competition, conceding on a scrappy free for all in the box, a free kick, and a (very) dubious penalty and scoring a pair of true bangers of our own. The loss marked the sixth time this season we fell by a single goal, which is likely chalked up to bad coaching.
Overall, the kids finished 6-9-1 with 31 goals for and 21 against. At the JV level, the record is pretty immaterial. I made it a point to get every kid into every game. We had nobody who had goalkeeping experience, so we rotated players, which cost us a handful of weird goals.
Nah, the record doesn't matter. What does is the fact that the kids had fun, and they acted as a team. Here's an example. One of our players was in the concussion protocol for several weeks. She's one of the weaker players, but she's got a great personality and is a terrific teammate. She was cleared on Friday by our school's trainer, on the condition that she participate in a full-contact practice. We didn't have one scheduled for Friday because the kids had played on Thursday and had a hard week of testing in school. I asked the kids if they'd be willing to come to the school on Saturday to practice so their teammate could get the necessary session in. Of the players that were in town and healthy, 70% showed up at the practice - and one kid who's got a sprained ankle and is out for the season showed up as well. We got the practice in and were able to get the kid recovering from her concussion her first start of the season in the finale.
I think I'm more proud of that practice than anything else we did this season - that's what I was telling them in the huddle below after the final whistle last night. Here's to next year.
Check out the fratty win loss record on this fuggin' guy's squad!
ReplyDeleteYeah, that's the perfect record if you don't have a perfect record.
ReplyDeleteOur spring comp soccer season ended two weekends ago. Between the two leagues we played in and tournaments, we played over 20 games this spring. Too many imo and I'll be voicing that opinion as we get ready for the fall. We had a couple practices last week and two more this week before our fields shut down for renovation and the girls get some time off as summer kicks off (last day of school is next Friday).
ReplyDeleteWe'll continue to practice throughout the summer at another field but I think we're all looking forward to some time away from the pitch. Well, at least I am.
The tie really proves the dedication to frattyness.
ReplyDeleteNice job Rob leading Rob! Not to be confused with the "Reign of Error," a new podcast out on one of the worst owners in sports history, and one GTB's favorites, Jim Dolan. Two episodes have are out there - go get 'em.
ReplyDelete"Nice job Rob leading Rob!" Nice writing there
ReplyDeleteLast day of school is next Friday, Mark? Durn, that's early.
ReplyDeleteAnd nice work, all ye coaching folks out there. Good on ya.
ReplyDeleteAnnnnd my 5th grade daughter just called to ask if she could say to a boy that asked her out. And so it begins...
ReplyDeleteWhit- Florida has always started summer much earlier than most other states. We also go back to school in early-mid August (8/10 this year). I can remember getting a bunch of new students post Labor Day when I was in school.
ReplyDeletesingle-game tix for colorado football games just got released. the cheapest (read: worst): $195/per. zoinks, coach prime.
ReplyDeleteThose ticket prices will drop dramatically by mid season. CU has a brutal schedule to begin the season and at some point the lack of depth is going to rear it’s head.
ReplyDeleteFucking Spurs. 3 for 3 on tanks to get sure fire #1 picks.
ReplyDeletethis is true, mark, but we plan to go see the nebraska home opener. which is gonna hurt.
ReplyDeleteI’m a little jealous of you. My friends and I discussed possibly going to Florida’s opener at Utah but the prospects of getting our asses kicked whilst surrounded by Mormons was too much.
ReplyDeleteInstead you'll go to SC and then be surrounded by us morons
ReplyDeleteA better choice, to be sure.
ReplyDeleteA little Gheorghe Muresan chat towards the back of today's right time with bomani and jj adande.
ReplyDeletehanging out with kq, julie foudy, edwin moses, and jeff ament in colorado springs - no big deal.
ReplyDeleteSo, hanging out with KQ?
ReplyDeleteshe ditched me for her cool friends
ReplyDeleteAfternoon, everybody
ReplyDeleteAfternoon, Whit. The discourse is really cracking today.
ReplyDeletenice job rob!
ReplyDeleteaside from following the concussion protocol . . . if this wasn't a family blog, i'd tell you who that protocol is for. because head injuries, you know, that's just part of the thing, you know, what's it is for that some dammit just a long time pain to get on the pitch, it's exaggerated what kind of effect your brain can have on it.
weird way for dave to confess that he’s been recently concussed
ReplyDeleteefficacious, though
ReplyDeleteThey remade White Men Can't Jump? And the main characters are still hustling to get the entrance fee to a basketball tournament? Despite the fact that one of them is driving around in a late-80's 911 that's worth about $75k? Society is all out of ideas.
ReplyDeletelate stage capitalism is a motherfucker
ReplyDeleteI'm still going to give it a try at some point. Mostly because the summer is wasteland of sports and good TV.
ReplyDeleteUnrelated, I haven't had a free weekend since January due to sports until this weekend. With that in mind, we ditched the kid and are heading 20-30 minutes north to a house on the beach in cocoa beach for the weekend. Bringing our bikes. Gonna lay around on the beach, bar hop a bit and sleep in. I'm truly excited.
pour some out for dave’s pal jim brown
ReplyDeleteRIP Fireball from The Running Man
ReplyDeleteIf anyone needs a different kind of culture this weekend, the Franklin County speedway is having a "Daisy Dukes Contest" as part of their racin' adjacent programming.
ReplyDeleteI have a pretty sweet pair of cutoffs, but I guess I'd be curb stomped if I were to enter. I heard the promoter on the radio expressing surprise that he's only heard positive comments about it. I suspect he isn't casting a wide net for opinions.
i actually had somewhat of a emotional reaction when i saw that headline-- i ate dinner with that guy a bunch of times, and he we had his golf clubs in our garage for quite a while (when he had some legal issues he had to deal with). my dad always had a great relationship with him and he was smart, well-spoken, and definitely a firebrand. he was motivated to do some good in the world of corrections too. he also fucking HUGE hands-- you can see why he never fumbled. and my dad's friend was most interested in throwing a lacrosse ball with him-- apparently he was great at lacrosse.
ReplyDeletemany amongst the lax cognoscenti will tell you that he was the greatest lax player ever. even to this day. rules were different, to be sure, and players could clasp the ball to their chest, which he used to great advantage. couldn’t stop him, couldn’t dislodge the ball from him.
ReplyDeleteDave’s brother posted a photo on FB of Jim Brown hanging with their family. Dave’s dad, bro, and dearly departed youngest brother. And Jim Brown. The group of them, sitting on a couch / standing behind it. Nice group shot.
ReplyDeleteOh, and Dave. Holding a bottle of beer. Couldn’t put his goddamn beer down for a photo with Jim Brown.
Bad assed.
Patron Oswalt delivered the commencement speech last night at his (and my) alma mater. And was awarded a doctorate. That there is inspirational.
ReplyDelete