Intelligent Effort

I've watched a lot of soccer this month. I always marvel at how hard high school athletes compete.  Rare are the occasions when I witness a lack of effort from individual players or a team. That said, I don't always see intelligent effort and that is often the difference between winning and losing a match.

I recently caught up with a couple of our camp teams each of which demonstrated they were in different places of the process.  The first team came out and played a very solid opening 10 minutes of intelligent team soccer. As the opponents began to settle into their own game our camp team began to unravel. It wasn't long before intelligent team effort gave way to strong individual effort or what we call "hero ball."  The result was predictable and it did not end well for our camp team.

A second camp team entered a match in which they were likely considered underdogs if only because they lacked the same quality depth as their opponents.  This camp team came out and gave great intelligent effort for 80 minutes against a quality side and came away with a good result. They did not dominate the match but they held their own in a battle of styles and wills.

The difference between the two camp teams at this stage of the respective processes? 

I've been giving that a lot of thought these past few days. One obvious factor is the 2nd team referenced has been camping with us for a number of years whereas this was the first year we have camped with the first team referenced. I don't think that fully explains the differences though. Both teams started out well but while one team continued their strong intelligent play the other faltered mightily. I suspect the difference is trust.

Trust in the process. Some will call this buy-in. And buy-in itself can be a process. There has to be a taste of success to whet the appetite. Once the hunger is there the process can thrive and confidence grows.

Trust in each other.  The second team played with a spirit of camaraderie that carried them through the rough patches in the match. They bent but never broke. They were resilient in the face of adversity. The first team panicked in the face of adversity. They were good until the opponents counter-punched at which time they retreated from intelligent team effort to a previous comfort zone of great individual effort. They did not trust the process nor did they trust one another as teammates. They went from possessing the ball to whacking the ball and the rout was on.

I really believe in both of these teams. The talent is present on both squads to have very good seasons. Each team is at its own point in similar processes.  Where each goes from here will be extremely interesting to observe. I am expecting good, possibly great things from the second team.  If they build upon their recent performance good things will follow.

In regards to the first team, I believe good is an obtainable goal this season if, and only if, they can build upon and sustain the level of intelligent play I witnessed them give in those first 10 minutes of of a recent match. It's a start. Can they build 10 minutes into 15 minutes and progress from there?

Next week I am off to check on another of our camp teams.  This particular team just completed their third year of summer camp with us. I was amazed by the improvement witnessed last month and early results are indicating something good may be happening with them.  Where once technique was a weakness they have developed a strong understanding not only of how to execute skills but are now able to apply these skills in a cohesive intelligent manner. They are not a finished product, but from what they demonstrated in camp I am excited for them.

If you don’t fight for what you want,

 

don’t cry for what you lost.

 

 

Believe

To believe means

to hope for the best,

to endure the stress,

to pass every test

and

to accept nothing less.

Good Luck Ottawa-Glandorf Lady Titans!

The Ottawa-Glandorf Lady Titans will be playing for the Division III State Championship at 7:00 pm on Friday in Columbus Crew Stadium.  We wish them nothing but the best of luck!  I encourage all in Western Buckeye League land to make the trip and have their backs with your support!

When your dreams start to seem so impossible and road blocks are all you see,

look beyond all the problems you face and focus on the possibilities.

Don’t limit your thoughts to the present or to solutions you have learned from the past.

Remember to keep looking forward. You may find the answer at last.

 

It is you whom determines your future, how your journey through tomorrow will be.

To fill all your days with adventure, dare to see what no one else dares to see.

So never let obstacles stop you or keep you from doing your part.

Have Faith that your dreams are all possible, if you truly believe in your heart.

 

Good Luck Lady Titans!

 

 

Empowerment

 

If you show belief in another,

 

you empower them to do

 

what their heart desires.

 

 

 

 

"We all had faith.

We all believed we were put here for a reason -

to accomplish something special."  

~ Glen Rice ~

Everyone Loves an Underdog

I have debated over titling this article with an "underdog" theme or with a "Cinderella team" theme.

A Cinderella team is one that surprises competition and fans alike by advancing further in a tournament than anyone anticipated they would or even could.  The classic example of over achieving.

Underdog teams are thought of as being inferior to its opposition usually in both God-given ability and technical excellence. Perhaps the very definition of underachieving.

I suppose it is possible a team can fit in both categories, but then again, maybe not. 

My son's team plays their first, and quite possibly only, tournament game tomorrow on the home pitch of a team that thumped them 1 - 4 just 16 days ago.  They will enter this match as underdogs hoping to exit it as a Cinderella team.

As I searched the recesses of my mind for examples of teams who had found themselves in similar situations for my son and his teammates to draw inspiration from I kept running into coaching as being a constant in such stories.  Cinderella teams tend to have great coaching that helps to propel them beyond expectations.  Underdog teams often rise above inferior coaching when a perfect storm of circumstances conspire to allow them to overachieve beyond wildest expectations.

Therefore I am pretty sure my sons team should be depicted as an underdog team going into tomorrow nights match against Celina.  Their rookie head coach and his rookie assistants have experienced a very steep learning curve this season. The team is lacking in basic fundamentals, especially from a tactical standpoint. Celina is a well coached technical team with a sound understanding of who they want to be tactically. Yeah, Shawnee is an underdog going into the match tomorrow night. 

The question is, can they become a Cinderella team by the time the match is over?

That is going to depend on the players psychological approach to the match.  If they step onto the pitch truly believing they can win, Shawnee will have a chance to do just that. 

I am reminded of the 1989 NCAA basketball champion University of Michigan Wolverines. By all accounts they were underachievers throughout the season.  When their coach decided to leave for Arizona at the conclusion of the season the legendary Bo Schembechler, then the schools athletic director, stepped in and famously said "A Michigan Man will coach this Michigan TEAM."  He fired Bill Frieder on the spot and named assistant Steve Fisher the coach of the Wolverines for the NCAA tournament.

That Michigan team went on to win 6 straight games and the 1989 NCAA National Championship.  In a sense they made the transition from Underdog to Cinderella. 

Now, that 1989 Michigan team was loaded with future NBA talent. Why they underachieved throughout the regular season is open to debate. What is not open to debate is the stunning turnaround they made in the week leading up to their first game in the tournament.

Part of the answer can be found in quotes from the various players on that Michigan team. To paraphrase the collective, "We just went out and balled. No sets. No plays. It was just us playing ball."

If Shawnee is to be successful in transitioning from Underdog to Cinderella tomorrow night I think this is the attitude they must take - they just need to go out and play soccer.  Will they find the type of bond the coaching change at Michigan forged for the Wolverines in 1989?   I don't know if such a catalyst exists for the Indians.  That's going to be their challenge.  Can they unite and find the elusive team chemistry that can carry the day tomorrow?

They have nothing to lose and so nothing to fear.

My encouragement to these young men is to step onto the pitch and stand shoulder to shoulder in battling Celina tomorrow night. Have one anothers backs as players.  Block all else out.  When you walk off the field at the end of the match, do so with heads held high with the knowledge you gave the best performance possible under the circumstances. 

Good Luck Indians!


Update:  The slipper did not fit. 

We are CHAMPIONS!

This is a take off on the youtube famous speech "I am a Champion."  I personally prefer "we" over "I" as soccer is a team sport. Not that football isn't a team sport, but you get my point.  I'm thinking of making a video of this.  Might be fun.  Might be useful.  I will undoubtedly edit what I have written below many times to it make more my own before it gets to that point.

Gentleman, I am honored to coach you.  Today I am more than honored to lead you onto the field of battle. Yet, there is a greater honor to be earned this day. That honor is your response to this question.

Who are we? ….   WE ARE CHAMPIONs!

Yes!  That is the thought, that is the BELIEF that you need to carry with you throughout this game.

We will conquer and not be conquered.  Defeat is not an option. We will BELIEVE in ourselves while others doubt us. We will always uphold and honor the tradition of our team. We will honor and respect the game we play and the team we are privileged to be a part of.

Who are we? … WE ARE CHAMPIONS!

We will acknowledge our that our opponents expect to win this game, but we will never surrender. We have trained our minds, our bodies and our spirits until there is no weakness that beats in our hearts. We look upon each other, our families and this family we call TEAM. We will draw strength from and give strength to one another.

We look forward to entering the field of battle. We will walk confidently onto the pitch and when the whistle blows we will announce our arrival with speed, aggression and mobility. We will rip the heart from our opponents and take their will to compete. They will be helpless to stop us.

Who are we? ….  WE ARE CHAMPIONS!

On either side of me I have teammates. Trusted teammates who have been beside me through thick and thin.  Together we have sacrificed, sweated, bled, cried and overcome to triumph.

Never will we let one of our number falter.

Never will we allow one of us to fall     

No one will be left behind.

We will fight together until we hell freezes over and then we will fight on the ice!

Our opponent does not know our heart but he soon will and it will cower him.

Who are we? …. WE ARE CHAMPIONS!!

No one will defy us.     No one will deny us.    No one will tell us who or what we are.

We are believers.

Belief has moved mountains, founded countries and put a man on the moon.

Belief is what makes us strong in the face of adversity. Belief is what brings us out on top.

Who are we? …. WE ARE CHAMPIONS!

 Surrender.  Defeat.  These words are not mine. I do not know their meaning.
I do not know what mistakes are. I do not know what it means to have things go wrong.

No matter how bad things may seem my heart and mind will carry my body when my limbs are too weak.

I only understand adapting and overcoming!    I only understand Victory!

Who are we?  ….  WE ARE CHAMPIONS!

Today.  TODAY is our day. Not yesterday. Not tomorrow . TODAY.  Right here.  Right now.  We protect what is ours and take what we want.

Who are we? …. WE ARE CHAMPIONS!!

Legends will be born today.     History will be made today.

We will define ourselves.          We will earn our praise.          We will take our place in record books.

We will not stray from our intended course. We shall embrace our destiny and make the future ours with every ounce of strength, determination and dedication we have.

Because who are we?   

WE ARE CHAMPIONS!