Greetings to all. My name is Denny Smyth, and I am the head coach of the Boy's Varsity Soccer team. I will be attempting to give insight on a daily (I will try) basis as to some of the details of our Fall '09 season.

 

My two assistant coaches are Dick Oakey (who some of you will recognize from past years) and Chris Wilson, who is new to the team and brings a wealth of soccer knowledge and positive energy to our team.

 

Allow me to start this Coach's Blog by communicating how excited I am for the start of preseason, and the challenges that lay ahead of us in the upcoming months. Soccer is a sport that is very close to my heart and that I have participated in since I was very young. I have been fortunate to have some extraordinary coaches and mentors in my life. I thank them as much as I can for the wisdom they have imparted on me, and for the tools they have shown me - that have lead to the priceless knowledge (not limited to soccer) that often comes through self discovery. It is my fullest intention to continue to transfer some of those ideas to each and every player that I have the privilege to coach.

 

As some players had deducted from experiences with me last year as an assistant coach, I am a strict believer in not cutting corners in training or in life. Good things come with time and sweat, and those ingredients are ones we all possess. We have graduated some influential seniors from last season, ones that lead on the field as well as off the field. The time is now for certain players to step up and meet new challenges with a robust heart and a humble head. This sport is one of teamwork, and work as a team we shall. I look forward to updating this blog in the upcoming days and seeing all of you on the field!

 

Yours in Soccer,

 

Coach Denny

 

The first week of preseason has passed. I am happy to report no real injuries as of yet. I am extremely pleased about this, mainly because of our small roster and the high intensity we have been training at. We have been working mainly on expanding our vision and ball movement in a lateral direction in efforts to not only give ourselves more space and time to work with, but also if we can spread the opponent's defense, then perhaps we can save our legs as the game pushes on. 

 

We were glad to have everyone come out for the first week, and I am anticipating the arrival of a few other players that will help our cause. It is integral that all of our players understand that each and everyone of them will figure into the lineup this season. Every individual is going to need to push themselves (aside from their teammates) in training. Personal accountability for the small tasks in a long game will be the difference. The sooner we realize that a game of 11 v 11 full field soccer is actually just a series of small sided games, the better. If you can understand and exploit your opponent in small numbers, the larger picture comes into focus.

 

Our first scrimmage is rapidly approaching and I am anxious to see our side in some full field action. The result of said scrimmage is the last of my concerns. The real goal will be to let the boys play and think for themselves on the field, while the coaching staff makes selective changes and observes the results. This full field exercise will also add to our fitness level, which I would like to say is good, but somewhat untested. If we continue to find the happy medium (in our training) between speed and control, I think our fitness and soccer efficiency will continue to increase.

 

Let me make this point though, our bodies are much stronger then our minds give us credit for and often your mind or will is the more easily exhaustible and will convince your muscles that they are fatigued. Mental health and clarity will benefit us all in the game of life as well as soccer. 

 

 I will leave you with this excerpt that I enjoy on the subject of failure or the fear of:

 

         " Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is far worse that the suffering itself. And that no Heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of it's dreams, because every second of the search is a second's encounter with Enlightenment and eternity." 

 

 Yours in Soccer,

 Coach Denny

 

Play With Heart  

 

Greetings again all!

 

Here is a brief summary of some of our recent results:

 

Scrimmage against Phil Mont Christian

   We were healthily under-manned and fought very hard to keep the contest scoreless at half time.

We created a few chances at best but eventually gave up a goal on a world class shot that we could do nothing about. A second tally followed soon enough, and we finished the game on the bad end of a 0 - 2 deficit. I was very pleased with our efforts seeing that we only had 12 players that day.

 

First game against Calvary Christian Academy

   After some confusion on CCA's part as to game time, the contest was finally underway. I was very impressed to see our squad keep the width in attempt to spread our the opponent's defense. Our plan gave way to a goal in the 8th minute. CCA was a team with some very large players and on two successive occasions their size helped them score some well earned goals. In the second half though. we continued to play with discipline and were rewarded for our efforts in the 65th minute. We then had a few chances nearly miss and a few questionable offsides calls. CCA broke the deadlock with what would be the game winner with 8 minutes to go. A very exciting game but alas, a tough loss. (Goals scored by Sam Winward and Danny Mauri)

 

Second game against Morrisville

    We were in control for most of the game on this day. A hatrick from freshman Ben Holl included a well deserved penalty kick, as well as supporting goals by Danny Mauri and Sam Winward. Danny also recorded two assists, and Ben Holl recorded one as well. We showed decent discipline in remaining in wide positions when it would have been easier perhaps to play in a more direct attack. It was a great chance to see our squad get a good amount of touches through the midfield, and also for our defense to record a shut out.

 

 

Game against Community Academy of Philadelphia (9/17/09)

   On this particular Thursday, we encountered a team that had proven to be a challenge. Not a direct challenge but more of a challenge within ourselves. We were given a lot of time on the ball and while most of the first half seemed to be frustrating, we finally broke the deadlock in the closing minutes before half time with Ben Holl giving a quick pass on an indirect kick to Sam Winward who finished for the score. The second half went our way a bit more and I was pleased to see our boys attempt to keep the width in attack. Two of the three goals scored in the second half were from first time scorers which is always nice to see. Andrew Reddick and Jacob Kleinman-Phillips both put themselves in a good position to finish a couple of opportune rebounds. Junior Oliver Ingram also scored late in the second half, bringing the final score to 4-0 in our favor.

 

Game at The Shipley School (9/22/09)

    We arrived at a beautiful scene of a crowded athletics complex at The Shipley School, hidden deeply amongst winding wooded roads and ornately designed estates on a fitting first day of autumn. Our warm-up was promising enough as it seemed our shots were finding the target and the squad's morale was high for our first Friends League contest. 

   With the first whistle of the game we met a very well prepared Shipley team. Their discipline was evident and it did not take them long to jump on a rebound early in the first half and put it back for their first tally. This was only the first of four they would score in the first half, as they would add two more in the second, bringing the final to a well earned 6 - 0 win. Allow me to take a minute to call out the Shipley Coach, Thom Schauerman and his entire team for winning with a lot of class and respect. It was my only desire as the game progressed in their favor that our boys would be graceful in defeat, and we were. 

   To say that last night was a sleepless one for me would be an understatement, just as I hope it was for some of our players. I found myself mulling over the dictionary definitions of passion, conviction and meddle. The more I thought about the things that we lacked in our defeat, the more closely I looked within myself; For insight from my recent past as a player, from brutal defeats that I had sustained as a boy, or anywhere else that an answer would come from. The only thing I could think of was a quote. A quote from a desk calendar that was on our refrigerator in a house that I had last lived in when I was nine. It hs been bleached from the sun everywhere except where a small magnet had held its place over the years of test scores and newspaper clippings. It's constance now seems all the more appropriate:

 "When the archer misses the mark, he turns and looks for the fault within himself. Failure to hit the bull's eye is never the fault of the target. To improve your aim - improve yourself."

Thursday the 24th of September saw us take on our second Friends League opponent, Abington. After a hard loss to Shipley I simply challenged our squad to take the game 5 minutes at a time. We started well for the first 15 minutes, playing a hard-nose brand of soccer and kept the game scoreless. At one point our defense was broken down by indecision and the visitors had gone up 1- 0. About 10 minutes later, Sam Winward put a thru-ball behind the defensive live where Ben Holl was first to it, and slid the shot underneath the advancing keeper. We had scored a goal in Friends league competition! What a relief. The first half ended with a well placed cross and header from Abington Friends, 30 seconds from time. Needless to say that was very tough to take going into the break and may have exhausted the wind from our sails. The second half saw AFS score one more to make the final 3 - 1. Overall I was pleased with our boys effort and play even in defeat.

 

Saturday 9/26/09 @ Germantown Friends

   We arrived at GFS early Saturday morning to celebrate 100 years of soccer between Friends Select, Germantown Friends and Moorestown Friends. The ceremony was very nice and a big shout goes out to former groundskeeper, Joe Peakock (who is a very good friend and even better soccer mind), and newly hired groundskeeper, Charlie Langrebe (who I had not seen for 15 years but was my neighbor back in Lawncrest). This would be where a celebration of any brand on our part would cease to exist. 

   I pride myself on having a hybrid of optimism and realism when it comes to school of thought, however I don't think even an idealist could have taken many positives out of the result. We were thrashed by a very talented Germantown Friends squad, 9 - 0. It hurts me to even type this ridiculous series of digits with soccer in mind. I thought we played very tentative and on the back foot, which only fueled our opponents forward.

   I do however, wish to thank my players for remaining Respectful in lieu the situation at hand. I have seen many instances when sportsmanship may have been thrown to the wind and I am pleased to coach a group of young men that think before they act. 

   After the game I was speechless, perhaps from a number or variables. I spent many hours that night and the rest of the weekend in deep thought, hoping for revelation. The only reality is that we have to put it behind us and keep moving forward if possible. At the very least I know some of our players will use this horrid experience as fuel for the fire, when they encounter adversity in soccer and in life. Never forget what it feels like to lose a competition in this manner. Bottle it and uncap it when you need something extra to finish a task at hand.

 

Yours in soccer

   Coach Denny Smyth