Thanks to Our Family

Girls and Parents,
A bit of a long thank you letter, but I can sometimes vocalize things better on paper than in person. So allow me to get all mushy & wax philosophical with you in what could be our last communication this season

I was having trouble finding the energy and words for this last post-Surrey game email to you because I am still disheartened (depressed) over our results vs. Surrey; because I tend to replay losses for a couple of days thinking about what things we could have done differently; what did we do?; what didn’t we do?; etc. I still can't put a finger on any one thing in that game except to say it was probably a combination of many small things and was just “one of those days” (I hate that term). It was one of those games when we did not play our usual brand of soccer and Surrey brought their "A" game.

We will accept that Surrey beat us this past weekend and on another day I am confident that things would be different. We will accept it ... but we don’t have to like it! Your response at the field to the loss was the response of a winner / champions! It was a response of a team who knew the result should have been different on most days. Surrey had a good run beating the top three teams to win the Coast Cup (i.e. us, Richmond and Vancouver). Cup play is a crapshoot at times ... one just has to look at the Premiership / FA Cup as a good example.

The fear of losing is what makes competitors so great. Show me a gracious loser and I'll show you a permanent loser. ~Football Hall of Famer
... and to quote my favourite coach ...
We didn't lose the game; we just ran out of time. ~Vince Lombardi

With the above said, my heavy-heart has been brightened by going through the past year (via the website and pictures) and reviewing our accomplishments; our successes and the fun we had (both Super Y and Metro).
I would recommend going back through the year and remember some of the following ...
Our Metro Camp up in Campbell River / Miracle Beach:
• What a fantastic start to a fantastic season. Great leadership, great fun, great training, great soccer and great memories.
• camping under a huge blue tarp (doing it West Coast style)
- our games vs. the local teams (especially the boys team) with Ken Garraway watching
- Saratoga Speedway – the excitement, the thrill, the speed (and Soraya!)
- Card games and junk food around the fire
- Robyn’s fixation (obsession?) with Zip- lock bags
- The Russ Frawley caravan/equipment shed/4-wheel-drive/do-it-all big-ass truck/camper.
- Our "fans" and camp visitors who also travelled up to camp and watch the games
Our Metro Season:
• You are League Champions!
- We saw improvements in just about every statistic over last season
• Place (1st vs. 6th) and Points (48 vs. 32)
- more wins (15 vs. 9)
- less losses (2 vs. 6)
- less draws (3 vs. 5)
- same goals-for (37 vs. 37)  mmmm ... Something to work on next year?!
- less goals-against (7 vs. 26)
- better goals differential (30 vs. 11)
- more shutouts (15 vs. 4)
• We beat Semiahmoo (3-times Provincial Champs and Nationals runner-up) 3 times. We not only beat them but we shut them out all game! (3-0, 2-0, 1-0)
- We made it to the Coast Cup Final.
For Many of You We Had the Super Y Season
• We came a very close 2nd place in the league of combined metro teams (e.g. Coastal WFC is a combination of Vancouver + Richmond + Semiahmoo + Surdel)
• What can I say ... North American Champion finalists!
• Florida ... lots of memories for many of the girls.

So looking back, we have a season that was very successful. But, what I take away from it most of all is our team spirit and our ability to get the job done through some turbulent/confused times. These things make us stronger; make us grow/mature; make us better people; make us closer … make us a better team. I admire the truly special “gifts” that each of you brought / received from the team and from each other. These are that are only possible by being on a high-performing team. As I told you a while back ... This team is a family and although families do have their small fights/differences/disagreements - in the end there is an unbreakable bond and love that comes with being a family. It provides the ability to go forward through tough times.

In closing, I would like to thank...
Robyn. She has done so much work for the coaches and the team. She has worked hard organizing us, keeping us going, making sure things go smoothly so we can concentrate on the soccer. So Robyn, on behalf of the team “thank you” we appreciate you and your hard work. Best of all, it is always with a smile!

The Parents. I thank you for your support and for lending us your daughters for large chunks of time; and for (re)arranging your busy lives around the team; around the soccer and around the coaches’ whims (at times). I hope you know most decisions were made for the benefit of the team and sometime the decision are very difficult to make; and are not easily understood due to lack of context (i.e. things we saw at practises, in previous games, things specific to our opponents; specific game tactics; etc). Thanks for the support you have shown to the team (coaches and players). Mistakes were made at times and I apologize for them ... but that is part of a team (and my/our learning).

Finally to the Players. Looking at the above, I hope you will find fantastic memories that follow you next season and beyond. I hope you can see your improvements and accomplishments both as soccer players and as people. Some great lessons have been learned the last season ... this is one of the beautiful things about team sports. Sport is a small snapshot of life ... sometimes played out in one season.  Sport provides life lessons and solutions to problems.  I thank you for your dedication to the team, your attention throughout the year and I have enjoyed the special individual qualities you have each brought to our family/team.

Thanks ladies …. I will cherish this season and it has been an honour and my privilege to be with you on this year’s journey.
Cheers and enjoy!
Brad

Love the game.
Love the game for the pure joy of accomplishment.
Love the game for everything it can teach you about yourself.
Love the game for the feeling of belonging to a group endeavouring to do its best.
Love the game for being involved in a team whose members can't wait to see you do your best.
Love the game for the challenge of working harder than you ever have at something and then harder than that.
Love the game because it takes all team members to give it life.
Love the game because at its best, the game tradition will include your contributions.
Love the game because you belong to a long line of fine athletes who have loved it. It is now your legacy.
Love the game so much that you will pass on your love of the game to another athlete who has seen your dedication, your work, your challenges, your triumphs... and then that athlete will, because of you, love the game.
Love the game.

Capitals Fall Short vs Surrey United

A quick game review (pictures to follow) ...
Unfortunately a few things caught up with our girls (time off, injuries, illlness, travel, etc.) and the "girls from Victoria" came out flat against a much improved Surrey team.  They had to get through ththe top three teams in the league to win the Coastal Cup (i.e. Victoria, Richmond and Vancouver)

They scored two quick goals (not particularly good goals but goals none-the-less) and gug a hole for us to get out of.  The girls woke up and applied some heavy pressure on Surrey but too little too late.

So when the whistle blew it was a 2-1 win for Surrey.

The News is Out ...

Caps in running for B.C. title
Coastal Cup final is today

By Jeff Bell, Times Colonist  April 24, 2010

Vancouver Island's hope for provincial soccer honours in this year's Coastal Cup lies in the capable hands -- make that feet -- of the Victoria Capitals.

The Capitals are Victoria's under-15 entry in the B.C. Metro Soccer League, which brings top players from ages 14 to 18 into competition with their counterparts from other areas. For the U15 girls, that meant a 14-team league with one entry from up-Island and the rest from the Lower Mainland -- making for a big time commitment and a lot of travelling.

The Capitals' championship test comes today at 5 p.m. against Surrey/ Guildford United in the A-Cup final, with the match being played at Richmond's Minoru Stadium.

Brad Hlasny, one of the coaches for the Capitals, said a win today would mean a rare "double" for the team, which also won the league title.

"I think the strength of the girls is that they really like each other," said Hlasny. "They play as a team as opposed to having a couple of stars that they rely on."

He said the team set a number of goals before the season started, including finishing in the top-three in league play after placing sixth in their division last year. They also wanted to cut their goals-against average, and they did so "substantially," Hlasny said.

"We went from 26 goals against last year to seven this year."

Along the way, they shut out the opposition in 15 of the league games they played and lost only twice.

Hlasny said the team is an all-star or "select" group, and the players come from all over the south Island.

"We have a girl from Saltspring and we have one from Cowichan."

In all, the roster is made up of players from eight Lower Island Soccer Association clubs.


While the team comes from all over, a number of the girls played together before reaching Metro, Hlasny said. About eight of them first played as teammates when they were under-12s, then reunited in Metro as under-14s.

"They all came back again and then it started from there," Hlasny said.

jwbell@tc.canwest.com

Online story here ... http://www.timescolonist.com/sports/Caps+running+title/2946935/story.html

Sessions This Week

Final Week of April 19th
Training
- Tuesday 5-6:15pm @ PISE
- Wednesday 5-6:30pm @ PISE

Girls U15 A-Cup Final
- Saturday April 24th @ 5pm
- Minorou Stadium - 7301 GranvilleAve., Richmond
- we will be on the 1pm boat (be at the ferry at 12:15pm latest)
- probable return time is 9pm ferry

Parents / Players ...
- Please communicate any issues with the above to your coaches. 
- Please conserve your energies for Cup play this weekend - think about your extra-curricular activities and whether they will have negative affect on your injuries, energy and play this weekend.  Now is the time to think of your team / teamsmates vs self.  Now is the time when tough decisions will have to be made.  Now is the time to ask yourself ... "What Would You Give Up?" to be champions?

See the article on the National U17 Girls Team ...  "What Would You Give Up?"

Caps Sweep Semiahmoo and Step Into Finals

NEWS FLASH ....
In one game we achieved two great feats ladies. 
1) We beat the 3-time Provincial Champions Semiahmoo Thunder for the third time this season (3-0, 1-0 and 2-0).  They are also the Nationals Club Champion Runner-Up (i.e. came second in the Nationals last October)
2) We also worked our way to the Coastal Cup A Finals next Weekend.

How can this be?  Think of the US Mens Hockey Team that beat the mighty Russian hockey squad for the Gold Medal at the 1980 Olympics (Miracle on Ice).  Think of the Greek Football Team who won the European Champions in 2004. 

Great things happen when a group of players come together and focus on a single goal.  Great things happen when players work hard, play hard and most of all have fun doing it.  You girls are like a family that love each other and would die for each other.  You are greater than the sum of all parts. Simply put ... YOU ARE A TEAM!

“I am a member of a team, and I rely on the team, I defer to it and sacrifice for it, because the team, not the individual, is the ultimate champion.”   -Mia Hamm quotes

"When all is said and done, it's not the shots that won the championship that you remember, but the friendships you made along the way." -Unknown


"When you are out there on the soccer field playing, nothing else matters at the time. It's like the whole world has disappeared, and you and your teammates are all that matters." -Amber Massey

Dusting Off the Cobwebs & Rust

Quarter Final Win at Home for GU15 Caps

Brads Notes - You girls never cease to amaze me!  With a huge 6 week layoff and with very limited practices and games during that layoff, the GU15 Caps were able to come to their quarter final game vs Langley FC and accomplish the following ...

- a team that has been through some tough times since Christmas break
- a team that has not really played together since February 21st (7 long weeks ago)
- a team that had many starters nursing injuries or illnesses
- within five minutes of play Andrew & I felt good because this long layoff did not seem to affect your focus on the field and the fire in your spirit
- in that first five minutes the Capitals mounted an impressive attack on the Langley FC goal and with some lovely heads up play on/off the ball by Elise & Vanessa ... they ring one off the post/corner
- Langley was able to tie up the game with a small brekadown in the middle of the field but they did not loose their composure or confidence and put pressure back on Langley
- the Capitals had about 7-8 very good chances within the 18 yard box vs Langley's 1 or 2
- a lovely goal by Kristen (with assists from Elise and Britany) and another goal by Kathy (assistd by Kristen) ... with many other near goals (Vanessa, Olivia K, etc.)
- our defensive 4-some although rusty, were able to get their shape back towrds the end of the game
- we also had to fight against some questionable officiating (clear offsides not called and a mysterious yellow  card call against Katie Hanson with her no where near player)

Girls ... your heart and love for each other is huge!!! 
Let's focus this week and take it to a new level for each other next weekend.

“I am a member of a team, and I rely on the team, I defer to it and sacrifice for it, because the team, not the individual, is the ultimate champion.” Mia Hamm quotes

"When all is said and done, it's not the shots that won the championship that you remember, but the friendships you made along the way."  -Unknown

"When you are out there on the soccer field playing, nothing else matters at the time. It's like the whole world has disappeared, and you and your teammates are all that matters."  -Amber Massey

That's What She Said ...

I love quotes because they are a way of summarizing what one normally thinks and says in a couple of sentances or a paragraph into one short,  sweet sentance.  They are a way of summarizing the way you feel that you sometime can't express yourself at times.  They capture the heart and the essence of a moment. 

Also, there are so many lessons to be learnt from them, and for that matter, from the people who created them - essentially, because, most of their "creators" have learnt from their failures and also from their own successes.  This makes the quotes, so much more powerful.  

Looking back, here are some quotes that I have used/posted this year.  They wrap the way I feel about you girls as individuals; as a team and I am sure the way you feel about each other.

On Teams and Teamwork ....
“I am a member of a team, and I rely on the team, I defer to it and sacrifice for it, because the team, not the individual, is the ultimate champion.”  ~Mia Hamm
"Good teams become great ones when the members trust each other enough to surrender the ‘me’ for the ‘we.’"  ~ Phil Jackson
“Love is the force that ignites the spirit and binds teams together.”  ~Phil Jackson
"Commitment to the team - there is no such thing as in-between, you are either in our out."  ~ Pat Riley
“If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.”
"Individual commitment to a group effort -- that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work"  ~ Vince Lombardi
The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don't play together, the club won't be worth a dime.”  ~Babe Ruth
“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.”  ~Michael Jordan
“People who work together will win, whether it be against complex football defences, or the problems of modern society.”  ~Vince Lombardi
"When you put on that jersey, the name on the front is more important then the name on the back." ~ Mircle (the movie)  ~unknown
TEAM = T.ogether E.veryone A.chieves M.ore

On Hardwork & Dedication  ...
“Champions aren´t made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them - a desire, a dream, a vision.” Muhammad Ali
“In order to excel, you must be completely dedicated to your chosen sport. You must also be prepared to work hard and be willing to accept destructive criticism. Without 100% dedication, you won't be able to do this.”  ~Wilson Mizner quotes
“Leaders aren't born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that's the price we'll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal.”  ~ Vince Lombardi
“Dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. Hard work is the price we must pay for success. I think you can accomplish anything if you're willing to pay the price.”   ~Vince Lombardi
“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.” Vince Lombardi
"The vision of a champion is someone who is bent over, drenched in sweat, at the point of exhaustion when no one else is watching"  ~ Anson Dorrance (in a note to Mia Hamm)

On Adversity ...
"Sometimes by losing a battle you find a new way to win the war." ~Donald Trump
“Take your victories, whatever they may be, cherish them, use them, but don't settle for them.” ~Mia Hamm
"Champions do not become champions when they win the event, but in the hours, weeks, months and years they spend preparing for it. The victorious performance itself is merely the demonstration of their championship character”  ~Alan Armstrong
"Winning is not everything, but wanting to win is" ~Vince Lombardi
"What doesn't kill us makes us stronger." ~Vince Lombardi
“The greatest accomplishment is not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall.”
“It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up.”  ~Vince Lombardi

On Mental Toughness ...
“Confidence is contagious; so is lack of confidence”  ~ Vince Lombardi
“If you can accept losing, you can't win.”  ~Vince Lombardi
“Once you learn to quit, it becomes a habit.”  ~Vince Lombardi

Quotes I Try To Remember About Coaching ...
"Good coaching is about leadership and instilling respect in your players. Dictators lead through fear -- good coaches do not." ~John Wooden
"So many coaches forget that when they take the fun out of something, it's just not something people want to do." ~Michelle Johnson
"Make sure that team members know they are working with you, not for you." ~John Wooden
"Coaching is a profession of love. You can't coach people unless you love them." ~Eddie Robinson
"What makes a good coach? Complete dedication"  ~George Halas
"You can motivate by fear, and you can motivate by reward. But both those methods are only temporary. The only lasting thing is self motivation."  ~Homer Rice


I obviously have an affinity for Vince Lombardi - the greatest NFL coach ever.  And one the the greatest team leaders and motivators.  Google him!

It's All in a Name

Pele ... Kaka ... The Kaiser ... Bomber .. The Butcher.  Soccer players have a long history of knicknames.  What are ours?  The players have nicknames for each other;  some of the coaches have nicknames for you (some nice ... some not so nice - but always meant jokingly) and some girls don't really have any (so I have taken the liberty of making some up). 






Can you match the player with the nickname?
Mikki
Harm / Hillbilly
Sasquatch / Sasq / Manson / Hanson
V /  Va-nay-nay
The Pickpocket
Wamsie
Crash / Nicole
Pea  /  Spaz
Sticks / Chubi / Foldy / Cod / Sims Wanna-be --> ???!!?!?
Livvie
GiGi / Red / Ging(er)
Elmer
Lise / The Wizard
Syd the Squid
Ms. Bhandal
Pumpkin
Nat

Did I miss any or get any wrong?  Email me.

A Soccer Story - Mental Beats Physical

He breaks off on a solo run up the sidelines that's marked goal all the way. His team is down one nil midway through the second half. He's the team's captain and their emotional and tactical leader. As he goes, so goes the team. Last year they won their Division II National Championships behind his brilliant, gutsy play. Playing the entire game with a painful bone spur, he led a dramatic, last second comeback to steal a win that sent the team into the Final Four. His Achilles heel, the one glaring weakness in his game, wasn't showing back then.
And now as he pushed the ball up the field the crowd collectively rose to their feet in anticipation. The coach had seen him like this before and liked what he saw; his brilliant striker was playing loose and aggressive today. 
When you step onto the pitch, do you bring your whole game with you? Do you come to play soccer or are you playing tentatively because you've let the importance of the game get to you? Or maybe you're too focused on the size or skill level of the opponent or the fact that there are scouts in the stands.

Coming in from the right wing the striker put a great move on the last defender leaving just the keeper between him and a much-needed score. The keeper came out to try to cut his angle off just as the striker let go a laser of a shot off his right foot. The ball rocketed towards the goal and seemed to have the goalie beat. The keeper then made a lunging, diving effort and miraculously got two fingers on the ball, barely deflecting it into the post and, with a "somebody-is-watching out-for-me bounce", luckily out of play. What a tough break! They were so close to tying the score. As play continued it was obvious that something had shifted. The striker seemed just a little less loose. He seemed to be pressing more, trying too hard.   Shortly after this missed goal he made an uncharacteristic mistake losing the ball on a poorly executed pass. This got him even more upset with himself and he started yelling at himself while the game went on.
Do you know that your physical game is always limited by your mental one?

One big mental trap that a lot of soccer players stumble into is the inability to deal with mistakes, bad breaks or lousy calls.  If you can't quickly and gently let go of these in the course of play you'll mentally take yourself right out of the game. Carrying your mistakes around with you is the best strategy to get you to play crummy soccer. Dwelling on your mistakes while the game is going on is a big mental "no-no" that will hurt you and your team.

As the game progressed the striker was clearly a lesser force on the field. Because he was preoccupied with his mistakes and failure to score, he was out of the flow of the game. He stopped being vocal and he stopped being a positive leader. As a consequence, his team's offense began to sputter and the opponent's began to dominate the ball. Despite this, our striker couldn't stop mentally beating himself up! With 5 minutes to play the other team scored an insurance goal and went on to win.
So how important is your mental toughness and sports psychology to playing championship soccer? Plenty! As far as sports psychology goes it's quite simple. Given that you've paid your physical dues, are in good shape and have a decent technical & tactical knowledge of the game, the difference between you playing well or playing poorly is in between your ears!

Our hero in this story was clearly lacking two things:
First, the ability to forgive himself. You will not play good soccer if you emotionally beat yourself up whenever you screw up. Doing that will only make you more tense and kill your confidence;
Second, the ability to quickly return his focus to the game and the task at hand. To be mentally tough you must learn to discipline yourself to immediately refocus after mistakes or setbacks. "Reboundability" is a key mental toughness skill needed to keep your mind in the flow of the game. Understand there's a proper time and place to work on your mistakes and it's not during the game. Wait for practice to think about and work on your miscues.