I hope everyone had a great Summer and is looking forward to the upcoming Fall soccer season. The Board and Coordinators worked hard over the summer to prepare us; there is little time to celebrate a season before we need to start preparing for the next.

I’m excited about our guest speaker for the Coaches Meeting on August 29th. Dr Dina Gentile will speak to our coaches about the importance and influence of coaches on our children. Dr Gentile is a former college coach, youth coach, coordinator and is a Soccer Ambassador for Korrio. We shared an article from Dr. Gentile in our Far Post newsletter last Fall. I’m looking forward to hearing her insight and guidance to our coaches.

Our role as parents, whether coaching, cheering, or organizational, is to provide a fun and educational experience for the kids. All too often, we as parents, push our own agendas instead of listening and supporting our kids. I encourage each of you to take a positive active role in your child’s sports. Be a positive role model on the sidelines and on the ride home from practice and games. Instead of asking your kids about the goals they scored, ask about how they played and their favorite accomplishment. Make time to play with your kids in the backyard. Give your child the chance to coach you and show you what they have learned.

Just as our favorite teachers find ways to educate in fun and exciting ways, that should be our goal in youth sports. To teach the kids sports, teamwork, sportsmanship and the importance striving to be your best. Always done in a way that makes them want to come back time and time again!

As always I look forward to your input and thoughts, feel free to contact me or any other member of the board with questions or comments.

See you on the field,
Bob Lee

Small-Sided Games: The Key to Player Development

Dr Dina Gentile will be the featured speaker at the Fall Coach's meeting on 8/29 at 7:00 PM at Curtis Middle School. Dina has coached the Endicott College Soccer Team for 11 years. She is a former All-American and Academic All-American at Adelphi University. She is the Pre Kindergarten and Kindergarten Coordinator for Beverly Youth Soccer Association. This season she is the proud coach of her daughters 2nd Grade team in the Wilmington Youth Soccer Association. Dina is also a Soccer Ambassador for Korrio.

People often ask me why bordering towns have different set-ups for their youth programs. Some play 5 v 5 at the U-6 level while some play 4 v 4 with a goal keeper at the U8 level. The variation from town association to town association has parents confused and left wondering which format is the best for player development.

I have had many debates right on the soccer field about the benefits of small-sided games. Many parents want to see what they experienced as youth players or what they see on television, which often times is full-field play with 11 on a side. We know more now about player development than ever before, and we need to make that commitment to development in order to give our youth players the best chances to succeed in learning skills and tactics in this great game.

US Youth Soccer has a number of reasons why small-sided games work in the youth game. I have watched my own children play 5 v 5 at age 4 because those were the rules of the association. My experience is that the number of times a player actually handles (touches) the ball with their feet is less than if they played with 3 on a side. There are fewer opportunities for our players to dribble into space or to dribble around another player.

Learn more

Kicks for Cancer

Saturday, September 29th, 2012

Twelve Varsity Soccer Teams Join the Fight to Kick Cancer

On Saturday, September 29th, twelve area soccer teams will join the fight to kick cancer. Playing in the sixth annual Kicks for Cancer, the teams hope to raise $30,000 to support the work of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. This year’s Kicks for Cancer will be a six-game festival featuring several of the top-ranked teams in Massachusetts, including five teams currently ranked in the top ten by the Boston Globe. The games will begin at 3:00 pm, 5:15 pm, and 7:30 pm and be played on the turf at Concord Carlisle Regional High School, 500 Walden Street in Concord.

Kicks for Cancer began in 2007 as a single game played in memory of Lois Wells, the mother of Steve Wells, an assistant coach and a former goalie at Concord-Carlisle. In 2011, Kicks for Cancer grew to three games and raised $25,000 in support of women’s cancer research. This year, as in previous years, the players will wear on their jerseys the names of family members and friends who have courageously battled cancer.

Kicks for Cancer will also include youth games at half-time and raffle items donated by each town. Concessions will be open throughout the festival.

More information about Kicks for Cancer and directions to the fields can be found at http://cchsmenssoccer.com/kfc.html

Columbus Day Tournament

What better way to build team spirit than testing your game in a Columbus Day Weekend Tournament? We are fortunate that Natick is running their 31st annual tournament, October 6th, 7th and 8th for U9 to U14 teams. Many SYSA players, including the Academy Squads, have made this tournament a tradition. More details, including sign-up information can be found at http://www.naticksoccer.org/pages/1/108/