After 3 weeks of training camp, as of today, we now get ready for the "real season" where games count in the standings, student-athletes have to actually deal with the student part and we gradually see the weather getting colder.
Training held before the start of classes is somewhat different than the regular student-athlete experience as for many of the players, the soccer is the one main obligation they have during the day (some local athletes might still be working etc). However as of this morning and the start of classes, the student-athletes have to face the grind and routine of attending class, doing homework, studying, attending practices, 2 games per week and trying to give their best in all facets. Our group of players has really grown in the 3 weeks since we first got together and I think there is still so much more they can learn and give. With our 7 pre-season games, I think the team is quite battle-tested and probably moreso than most of the opponents we will start facing. While we didn't get results in terms of wins, I think many of the players improved tremendously by facing tough competition and I also think we have a fairly good idea about the style of play and tactical direction we want to take. We will of course adjust from opponent to opponent to make sure we can get the best match ups possible with our players for the basic framework of how we want to play is there and we have seen it succeed against quality teams... now we have to put it together for 90 minute games when their are actual points on the line. We start off tough facing the #2 (Sherbrooke) and then #1 (Montreal ) teams from a year ago this opening weekend however all we can do is take it one game at a time and make sure our players are prepared to play their roles on the field. I will try and post each Thursday leading into the weekend games and each Monday with a recap of the weekend that was... so stay tuned.
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AuthorAfter many years of coaching at various levels and with different teams, I thought I would share some of my experiences and thoughts about coaching. Archives
January 2023
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