Next Week and Beyond

Hello, girls soccer fam! Hope the sun and mild temps are treating everyone well??

Our first game week is upon us (BEAT T.K.!!!), and I couldn't be more excited. :)

Here is the tentative schedule for this abbreviated week coming up here...and beyond:

Homework for the weekend: 1.) memorize/know/understand all "offensive/defensive team agreements" from the previously shared "Hamilton Soccer" document and 2.) view/learn/reflect upon vid footage via hudl of our first opponent T.K. coming up here next Wednesday.

**Monday: outdoor practice 3-5 PM (wear gray)...CHECK UPDATED "SOCCER RESPONSIBILITIES" DOCUMENT REGARDING YOUR RESPECTIVE DUTIES PRE- AND POST-PRACTICE.
**Tuesday: outdoor practice 3-5 PM (wear black)...REQUIRED TEAM DINNER AT THE ROBINSONS' AT 5:30 PM.
**Wednesday: away game vs. T.K. (WIN!)  Meet in my classroom by 3 PM...what to wear in school TBD...Noelle = team meal (to be consumed at the game site)...bus leaves at 3:30 P.M.
**Thursday/Friday: NO PRACTICE...HAPPY SPRING BREAK!

**Thursday/Friday of Spring Break week: OPTIONAL 230-4 PM practice at the HS.
 
Note 1: when in charge of the "team meal", please simply provide a light food/beverage for a total of 16 teenage girls. Healthy food/beverage recommendations include (but not limited to) the following: sandwiches/wraps/subs, fruit, veggies, water, gatorade/powerade, pretzels, granola bars, healthy crackers, healthy snacks, etc. For home games, we'd need the meal ready by 3 PM in my room 111 classroom in the HS. For away games, we'd need the meal somehow packaged and ready to load on the bus upon departure time as we will enjoy the meal shortly after arriving on site. THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP IN PROVIDING THE GIRLS WITH A HEALTHY PRE-GAME MEAL THAT WILL HELP US ACHIEVE SUCCESS IN THE SUBSEQUENT MATCH!

Note 2: congrats again to Melinda and Dani for being selected by their peers recently as permanent team captains for the season. Thumbs up!

Take care, all, and let me know if you need anything at all. 

Schedule Changes

Soccer fam,

A schedule change to note: our varsity start vs. Hopkins at their place on Friday, April 22 will now begin at 4:30 PM (with JV to follow at 6 PM).

And another one: our H.C. away game on Wednesday, May 18 will take place at 4 PM (JV also plays at 4 pm at a nearby location). 

Take care!

Opening Week/Weekend and Beyond!

  Hey, all!

Off to a great start here, and I couldn't be more excited. Already great working with you!

The 0-0 tie vs. GR Cath. Central and 3-0 win vs. Cheboygan were positive results for us yesterday, all things considering what with lack of practice time early on here!

And we keep moving forward....:)

Tentative schedule for this coming week:

**Monday: practice 3-5 PM (wear black)...parent meeting at 5:15 in the forum room...$30 due.

**Tuesday: volunteer event/team-building 3-5 PM (wear gray and close toed shoes)...bus to Holland Rescue Mission Restoration Center.

**Wednesday: practice 3-5 PM (wear black)

**Thursday: practice 3-5 PM (wear gray)...team pictures (wear white)

**Friday: practice 3-5 PM (wear black)...celebrate Summer's B-day! :)

Note: Next Tuesday, March 29, the Robinsons will host a required team dinner at our house just after practice that day. We will eat, drink, laugh, and be merry on the eve of our first game of the season!

That's it for now, all! Take care!

PS. Feel free to check out the "team roster" link below and to the left!

Welcome (back)!

Greetings, all!

I'm VERY much looking forward to working with all of you this off-season and into the season! Can't wait.

Here are some important dates to keep in mind from here on out:

**Monday, Dec. 21: Co-ed 5v5 Indoor Soccer Tournament (@HHS)
**Thursday, Dec. 10 - Friday, March 4 (excluding holiday breaks): weekday 3-4 PM off-season training. Meet in Mr. or Mrs. Robinson's classrooms.
**BY Monday, March 14: All physicals, insurance fees, and code of conducts on file with Connie @HHS
**Monday, March 14: First day of the season/tryouts/Iron Woman Contest
**Saturday, March 19: All day Varsity-only scrimmages at Grand Valley
**March 31-April 10: No required soccer activities.
**Monday, May 30 (Memorial Day): required late afternoon/early evening practice and team dinner for Varsity only.

Please do not hesitate with any questions, comments, and/or concerns from here on out.

Let's get this started!

0-0 Tie at Comstock Park…and More!!

Hi, all!

Thanks for an overall great season, girls, culminating in the tough 0-0 draw yesterday at Comstock. As a coach, I appreciate immensely the work you guys put into this season. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Now, we're not done yet…:)

**Last team meeting: 3-3:45 PM in my classroom..next Tuesday, May 26…bring all clean uniform items to turn in…and hopefully we can all somehow make it across town to Zeeland to watch the Varsity team in their first round District game vs. Zeeland West (4 PM)???!!!

**Soccer Program Dessert Banquet: Tuesday, June 2 (6:30 PM) at the MS cafeteria. More details to come!

Thanks again, all, and let me know if you need anything!

2-0 Loss to Byron Center

Hang in there, ladies! We've got one more chance to finish this thing right.

Stay positive and support each other.

Oh, and beat Comstock Park!

See you outside for our last practice today at 3 PM. Team dinner at Ashley's to follow!

Our Last Week!

Hi, all! Hope you're enjoying the warm weekend??

So…here we go with our last official week together coming up. LET'S FINISH STRONG!!

See below for the tentative schedule:

**Monday: game at B.Center (5 PM)…bus leaves at 3:30…dress up in school…Katlyn = video
**Tuesday: practice 3-5 PM…last team dinner @ 5:30 PM (VanDenBerg's).
**Wednesday: game at Comstock Park (5 PM)…bus leaves at 3:15…Phebe = video
**Last Team Meeting: to be announced
**Program-wide banquet: Tuesday, June 2 @ 6:30 PM…HS cafeteria…more details to come!

Note: congrats to Ashley for having been voted by her peers as our last alternate captain of the season. Well deserved!

See you all soon. Take care!

2-1 Win vs. Holland

Ladies,

Loved how you handled a bit of personnel adversity yesterday in that second half vs. Holland. As a team, we certainly were "limping", and we did "bend" a bit. BUT we didn't "break", and that's a tribute to you all. Nice job!

With two games left in the season, we need to repeat that team spirit again…and again!

See you at practice today…3 to 5 PM…Formidable Feet contests starting at 4 PM.

7-0 Loss to Unity

Hold your heads high, ladies, and remember: it could always be worse!

With three games and about a week left in the season, let's simply get better, look at the bright side of things, and enjoy each other and this beautiful game!!

See you all officially on Wednesday in my room right after school. Sophomore captains will be leading you in a spirited practice tomorrow!

Take care, all.

Upcoming Week…and more!

Greetings, all!! Hope you're surviving the dreary weather conditions this weekend.

Happy Mother's Day!! :)

Please check out the schedule below to prep for our second-to-last week together this season:

**Monday: home game vs. Unity (4 PM)…athletic bottoms and Hamilton soccer shirts in school…Maddie/Rhi = ball girls…Pauline = video
**Tuesday: practice 3-5 PM.
**Wednesday: home game vs. Holland (5:45 PM)…meet in my room directly after school…snacks/beverages in my room??...Morgan/Ana = ball girls…Bailee = video.
**Thursday: practice 3-5 PM.
**Friday: practice 3-5 PM.

Note: Congrats to Katlyn Eding for being honored by her peers as this upcoming week's alternate captain! Well deserved.

Take care, all, and let's finish this thing strong!

3-2 Win vs. Wayland

Loved that you met a couple of team goals tonight, ladies! And an extra bonus is that, in doing so, we are at an even 6-6-1 record on the season at this point. Well done! It wasn't always pretty tonight, but you hung in there and got the job done against a decent opponent.

Our overall effort will have to be x2 to get it done this coming Monday. And….we can do it!!

Take care, and have a great night.

2-1 Win at Zeeland West

Girls,

Really proud of your BOUNCE-BACK effort yesterday at Zeeland West. The first half was as bad as I've seen us play-- on multiple levels. Regarding the "crossroads" that I mentioned at halftime, we seem to be back on the right "road" based on the inspired play from then on. Now…KEEP. THAT. UP.

Starts (again) in practice. See you soon!

P.S. SUPPORT and EMPATHY, right??!!

5-0 Loss to Holland Christian

Girls,

Keep your collective heads up…BUT…we need a LOT better collective effort from here on out…practice and games…(dot dot dot).

 In our post-game talk, I mentioned that there certainly are many more important things in life than winning a soccer game. That said, remember the alternate point made: in this crazy life/world, you only get one chance to enjoy this great game at the high school level with friends, coaches that support you, parents that cheer you on, etc.! Make the most of it, and LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST.

See you tomorrow for practice, and let's keep moving forward!

7-0 win at Black River…and more!

Nice job last night, ladies, handling business against an over-matched opponent! I mostly liked the way you stuck to good soccer habits despite the score on the scoreboard-- especially since "good soccer habits" will be needed (x2) next week starting with H.C. at home this coming Monday! Rematch time!

Here's the tentative schedule for this coming week…another full slate:

**Monday: home game vs. H. Christian…vote on alternate team captain before the game…dress up in school…outside by 315 PM…Nicky/Teagan = ball girls…Ana = vid.
**Tuesday: practice 3-5 PM.
**Wednesday: 1/2 day in school…game at Z.West at 5 PM…bus leaves at 345 PM...Ashley = vid.
**Thursday: practice 3-5 PM
**Friday: home game vs. Wayland…Harley/Syd = ball girls…Shania = vid.

Note: THANK YOU FOR BEING SUCH SPECIAL FRIENDS TO OUR DAUGHTER QUINN THIS PAST FRIDAY--FEEDING HER, PLAYING WITH HER, ETC.!! SHE LOVED YOU ALL! :)

Take care, girls, and looking forward to seeing you shortly!

2-0 Loss vs. Byron Center

Girls,

As mentioned today after the game, the positive sign as a result of the contest vs. Byron Center is that we finished strong…despite what the scoreboard said at the conclusion. We should be mostly proud of the way we finished the game with much more of an urgent offensive effort. Let's keep plugging away!

See you tomorrow for a time to regroup at practice.

0-0 Tie at Holland

Hey, girls!

Nice job regarding a hard-fought game last night on what is traditionally a tough surface to play on. With our remaining games though, let's be sure to always FINISH STRONG regarding second half play. I thought we were on our heels a bit for much of that second half last night.

On to the next one!

Upcoming Week

Hey, girls! Hope the weekend is treating you well??

See below for the tentative schedule for this coming week:

**Monday: game at Holland (5 pm)…dress up in school…bus leaves at 4 pm…Maddie = vid
**Tuesday: practice 3-5 pm.
**Wednesday: home game vs. Byron Center (4 pm)…Phebe/Nena = ball girls…Rhi = vid
**Thursday: practice 3-5 pm
**Friday: game at Black River (430 pm)…bus leaves at 330 pm…Morgan = vid.

Note: Congrats to Harley Dykema for being selected by her peers as this coming week's alternate captain!! Well deserved.

See you all soon, and let's keep this thing rolling in a positive direction!

8-0 Mercy Win vs. Hopkins

Well done today, ladies. As mentioned after the game, you took care of business in a mature, hard-working manner vs. a lesser opponent. Bottle that up for next week as we take on another set of foes: two conference games (Holland/B.Center) and one non-conference vs. Black River.

See you all soon…stay tuned for more info this weekend regarding next week…and have a great weekend!

4-0 Loss at Unity

Keep those heads high, girls!! No shame today since a.) you all played hard…b.) you all stayed positive…and c.) you supported each other. A coach (and a team) can't ask for much more. More good things will come about if we keep all of that up.

Back to the drawing board tomorrow with practice in preparation for another game: Friday at home vs. Hopkins.

See you soon!

2-1 Win vs. Z.West

Nice job today, ladies, on a not-so-nice day out there weather-wise. I'm proud that we all stuck with it in light of the circumstances, accomplished at least two team goals, and got back in the winning column on the eve of an important game vs. a tough Unity squad.

Let's keep up the good work, girls!

See you tomorrow for practice and a team dinner.

Take care!

Upcoming Week

Hey, girls! Hope the weekend has been a great (and productive) one??

Regarding this upcoming week (a full slate) please see below:

**Monday: home game vs. Z.West @ 4PM…Meet outside by 315…wear game warm-ups in school…Teagan = vid…Pauline/Shania = ball girls…dress warmly as it is supposed to rain and be pretty cold!
**Tuesday: 3-5PM practice…team dinner #2 @ Syd's (530 PM)
**Wednesday: game at Unity (5 PM)…bus leaves at 345PM…Harley = video
**Thursday: 3-5PM practice
**Friday: home game vs. Hopkins @4 PM…meet outside by 315 PM…Bailee/Katlyn = ball girls…Syd = video.

Note: Congrats to Morgan for being selected by her peers to be an alternate captain for this coming week. Well deserved!

Note #2: I will doing a "grade check" per one of our team rules this Monday. Remember, "student" before "athlete"!

Ladies, we still have much to play for this season with team goals still at the forefront!

2-0 Loss to H.C.

Ladies,

Hang in there! The season is still young, and we still have a ton of improving to do from here on out. And one thing that I am NOT concerned with right now is your collective ability to fight hard until the end of a match…no matter the situation. Nice job with that last night!

See you all for much needed practice today at 3.

2-0 Hudsonville Loss

Girls,

As mentioned after the game, despite the couple of breakdowns we suffered in letting Hudsonville score a pair of goals, a major positive is how we finished the last 20 or so minutes of a mostly evenly-matched game today--consistently pressuring the opponent in our offensive end.

Let's remember that for tomorrow vs. a game Holland Christian squad!

See you all tomorrow for 4 PM team pics in the HS cafeteria. Bus leaves for H.C. at 430 PM. Game at 530 PM.

Heads up! :)

Upcoming week...

Welcome back, everyone! Hope your Break was enjoyable and restful. As for soccer, we jump right back into action in the very near future! Let's all be as prepared as possible.

See the schedule for this upcoming week below:

**Monday- practice 3-5 PM.
**Tuesday- home game vs. Hudsonville at 4 PM…meet outside at 315 PM…Ana/Ashley = ball girls…Nena = video.
**Wednesday- away game at H.C. (530 PM)…TEAM PICS@4 PM…Nicole = video
**Thursday- practice 3-5 PM
**Friday- practice 3-5 PM.

Note: Please study up as a refresher our team goals, team rules, "set plays", teammate info, and glossary of soccer-related terms before tomorrow, so we can hit the ground running!!

Take care, all, and see everyone soon!

6-0 Loss to Middleville

Keep your collective heads up, ladies!! The season is young, and we can (and will) improve by leaps and bounds before this thing is over.

No shame in losing to a talented opponent…UNLESS WE DON'T SOMEHOW LEARN FROM IT!

Have a great, fun, safe Break, and please remember to stay/get fit and be ready to come back hitting the ground running for plenty of soccer ahead of us!

Pre-Spring Break week…and more!

Greetings, JV players and families!

Please check out the abbreviated schedule below as a tentative guide to this upcoming week:

**Monday: 3-430 PM practice (Parent/Teacher Conferences @5)
**Tuesday: 3-430 PM practice (Parent/Teacher Conferences @5)
**Wednesday: home game vs. Middleville (4 PM)…Rhi/Morgan = ball girls…Phebe = video…more details to come.
**Thursday/Friday: OFF…ENJOY THE BREAK AND STAY FIT! :)

On a side note, congrats to Maddie for her recent election (by her peers) as "alternate team captain" for this upcoming week!

4-0 Win vs. Coopersville

Job well done today, girls, in our first official game of the season! Certainly, we dealt with some adversity (weather, injuries, first game jitters, etc.) and came out on the right end of things. And as mentioned, we partially met two team goals today in doing so!!

Let's keep this positive momentum going into our next game on Wednesday at K. Hills.

Take care!

Upcoming week…and more!

Greetings, all! Hope the weekend's been great already.

A few things:

**Check out the newly updated "roster" and "team goals" information by scrolling down and to the left on this page. Regarding the three team goals that the girls decided on yesterday in my classroom, let's get the ball rolling starting on Monday…on the field and off!

**Reminder that I need $14 from all of you asap for the socks. Cash or checks made payable to "Hamilton High School  Attention: Girls Soccer". Speaking of apparel, please remember to order Hamilton stuff online (a previous email I sent all of you) if interested asap!

**Study, study, study your paperwork this weekend: set plays, player info, team info (philosophy, communication, etc.). DUE MONDAY! :)

**Congratulations to Teagan Knapp and Ana Lopez for being selected by their peers as permanent team captains this season! In addition, congratulations to Shania Kragt (shout-out to Morgan as well!) for being selected by her peers as the "alternate captain" for this upcoming week!

**Thank you ahead of time to Team Eustice and Team VanDenBerg for volunteering to host our other two team dinners coming up this season. Much appreciated! April 21 and May 19...

**Finally, check out the team schedule for this upcoming week below:

-MONDAY: 4 PM home game vs. Coopersville…wear warm-up top and jeans in school…all white uniforms for the game…meet outside dressed and ready no later than 3 PM…Syd, Maddie, Bailee = varsity game duties…warm-up cd????
-TUESDAY: 3-5 PM practice.
-WEDNESDAY: away game vs. Kenowa Hills…Katlyn = video…more details to come.
-THURSDAY: 3-5 PM practice.
-FRIDAY: 3-5 PM practice.

That's it for now, all! Let me know if you need anything at all.

Welcome, girls!

Ladies,

Again, welcome to the JV girls soccer team and Hamilton girls soccer program. I/We are really excited to work with you. Let's get this thing kicked off in a positive direction from the outset!

Here is the tentative schedule for next week:

**Monday: 3-5 PM (inside at the high school or outside)
**Tuesday: 3-5 PM (if outside)…5-7 PM in the HS (if inside)…PARENT MEETING TO FOLLOW      
                   FOLLOW IN EITHER CASE.
**Wednesday: 3-5 PM (if outside)…3-5 PM at the MS (if inside)…TEAM DINNER AT THE
                       ROBINSON HOUSEHOLD AT 5:30 P.M.
**Thursday: scheduled scrimmage outside at Zeeland East at 4 PM…7-9 PM practice at HS (if inside)
**Friday: 3-5 PM (inside at the HS or outside)

Take care and spread the word to your respective families!

End-of-Season Banquet

Please note the following:

What: JV/Varsity Soccer Dessert Banquet
When: Tuesday, June 3 at 6:30 PM.
Where: HS Cafeteria
Who: JV/Varsity players and respective families
What to bring: dessert to pass, personal beverages, place settings.

Hope to see you all there in order to celebrate a successful season!

9-0 Win vs. Comstock Park

Girls!

First, as mentioned after the game today, what a distance we've come as a team since April 2 at Middleville when we fell 6-0 in our first game of the season, huh?!! Man…seems like soooo long ago. You guys have improved by leaps and bounds throughout the course of the season, and WE CERTAINLY FINISHED STRONG!! Way to go. A coach couldn't be more proud.

More to come tomorrow at our team meeting right after school as well as at our program-wide banquet tentatively set for Tuesday, June 3 at 630 PM.

Keep the great work as overall good human beings, girls! :)

It was a pleasure…dot dot dot.

0-0 Tie @ Holland

Ladies!

Ready for our last JV practice of the season today?? :) And don't forget about our last team dinner at Kirby's afterward (@6)!

Regarding last night's tie @Holland , I don't think it was the worst result for us. As mentioned, Holland had a handful of dangerous chances that we managed to weather, so they deserve some credit as well. Plus, we've still got our team goal of finishing with an overall winning record going for us heading into our final game tomorrow!

Let's end this thing right, huh??!!

See you all soon!

Last Week of the Season!

Greetings, ladies! Hope all is well and that you're all enjoying the beautiful day??

Here goes with the schedule for our last week coming up here (grab the kleenex…haha):

**Monday: rematch game @ Holland (5 PM)…"dress up" in school…bus leaves at 415 PM…WIN...Katlyn = video…ride bus home with team.

**Tuesday: last practice of the season…3-5 PM…captains = lead…last team dinner at Kirby's (6 PM).

**Wednesday: last game of the season…home vs. Comstock Park (4 PM)…WIN…Grace/Kora = ball girls…Yaz = video…more details to come.

**Thursday: brief team meeting after school in my classroom…finished no later than 330 PM…please bring all clean uniform items if you can! And please let me know if you cannot make the meeting!

Note: Congrats again to Lauren for her team voting her as the last "alternate" captain of the season this past Friday!

Girls, let's end this season with a bang. We've got three team goals still in play here--one of which is ending the season with a winning record. At 6-6-2 currently, we've got to win out this week!

See you all soon!

0-0 Tie @ Unity

Hi, girls!

You all have MUCH to be proud of regarding your collective efforts last night at Unity. Overall, you made JV history! As mentioned, the result of the game was the first time ever that a Hamilton JV team has ended a contest with Unity with something other than a loss. And as I mentioned last night, the score was a WELL-EARNED, DESERVING one: not the result of some fluky, pack-it-in, survival-mode, sloppy soccer mentality that some teams play against talented opponents. Your coach is very proud of you!

Now, with two games left, we've still got more work to do, right???

See you all for practice today. Bundle up!

4-2 Win vs. Zeeland West

Girls,

As a coach, it's certainly a joy to watch you all continue to improve as a team and "finish strong" (as I mentioned after the game today). Today, you certainly won the battle on the field vs. Zeeland West to even our overall season record at 6-6-1.

NOW the challenge is winning the battle IN OUR OWN COLLECTIVE HEADS as we prepare for Unity on Wednesday at their place. As I mentioned today, if we don't even BELIEVE we can beat those girls, the game is already lost! You all know by now that soccer is a crazy (beautiful) sport in that any given team can win on any given day.

Let's make it happen on Wednesday…after putting in the necessary work in practice tomorrow!

See you all soon.

2-1 Win @ Wayland…and more!

Hey, girls!

Hope you're enjoying the weekend, the nice weather, all of it.

Great job last night at Wayland. As I mentioned to you after the game, that was (in my opinion) easily one of the best games of the season for us simply regarding POSSESSION. You guys were dominant at times. As a coach, it was great to see. Keep that up here with four games left! Speaking of that, remember that one our new team goals for the remaining couple of weeks on the season is to finish with an overall winning record! At 5-6-1 currently, we can do it!!! Keep visualizing success…and making it happen on the field.

Take a look at this coming week's schedule:

**Monday: home game vs. Z.West (4 PM)…dressed and ready on the field by 3 PM…Yaz and Helana = ball girls…Lauren = video.

**Tuesday: practice 3-5 PM.

**Wednesday: game @ Unity (5 PM)…bus leaves at 4 PM…Ayla = video.

**Thursday: practice 3-5 PM.

**Friday: practice 3-5 PM.

Note: Congrats again to Ayla for her teammates voting her as the next alternate captain for this coming week!

Take care and see you soon, all!

2-0 Loss @ H.C.

Hey, girls!

I hope we're all recovered --mentally and physically--from last night's emotional contest at H.C.? As I mentioned at the conclusion of the game, they deserved to win that game. There's no shame in that. They were better than us on THAT day. It's that simple.

We still have much to play for here in the next two weeks: a couple of team goals to fulfill, five games, one last team dinner, etc.

Let's keep improving! See you all for practice today at 3 PM.

2-0 Win vs. Byron Center

And the beat goes on…….

Well done today, ladies. I'm proud of you all for contributing to a team goal partially met in our rematch win vs. a conference opponent. And now i'm looking even more forward to this Wednesday at Holland Christian when we have the chance to continue toward the same team goal but also do what no other JV soccer team has done before at Hamilton: beat Holland Christian.

If today didn't give you even more confidence (on top of our last strong effort vs. H.C. on our field a few weeks back), I don't know what will!

Let's get better in practice tomorrow and then BEAT H.C.!

1-0 Win @ Zeeland East…and more!

Girls! Hope you're enjoying the weekend…and Tulip Time?! :)

Regarding last night's game, you ladies should be very proud of your second half effort especially--all around. That was a hard-fought win…a well-deserved win in my estimation. Way to go. And now we've got an important rematch vs. B.Center at home on Monday. If you recall, they beat us 2-0 at their place not so long ago. One of our team goals is to beat every conference opponent at least once, and here's our last chance vs. that team on Monday! Let's meet that challenge!

See below regarding more details for this upcoming week:

**Monday: game vs. Byron Center (4 PM)…dressed and ready outside by 3 PM…Morgan/Kirby = ball girls…Kora = video.

**Tuesday: practice 3-5 PM…team dinner #2 at Katlyn's @ 6 pm.

**Wednesday: game @ H.C. (530 PM)…bus leaves at 430 PM…Maryn = video...more details to come.

**Thursday: practice 3-5 PM.

**Friday: game @Wayland (5 PM)…bus leaves at 330 PM…Mikayla = video…more details to come.

Note: with only three weeks left in the season, our team theme for the remaining weeks will simply result in girls nominating fellow teammates for ANY positive contribution to the team during that respective week. Let's all strive for this!

Take care, all, and let's keep improving and moving forward!

0-0 Tie vs. Holland

Girls, 

I was proud of your overall effort today in a game we mostly dominated--possession and offensive chance-wise. It was certainly evident until the final horn that you ladies were fighting and desperately trying to punch one of those balls in the back of the net. I enjoyed watching that effort. Let's all be honest with ourselves though: that's a game we simply need to win. Remember, "good" teams take care of business against the lesser teams every time, and we didn't fully get the job done today. Let's file today in our collective memory banks, and revive the memories the next time we play Holland at their place, right?! 

I look forward to working with you in practice tomorrow…especially offensively! 

3-0 Loss to Unity

Hi, girls.

Well, in my opinion today was another situation (like our last home game vs. H.C.) where we played a traditionally tough program tooth and nail for the most part and yet couldn't come up with the "extra stuff" to prevail. Since we play both aforementioned teams from above yet again at their respective places in the near future, what can we ALL do to finally take that next step as a team/program??!! I know we have it in us…(dot dot dot)….Varsity as well. And you saw how they took on H.C. the first time!

Hang in there, and let's get better tomorrow in practice!

2-0 Win @ Hopkins…and more!

Hi, girls!

Another job well done yesterday vs. an opponent that we needed to take care of, all things considering. A good team (which I think we are) takes care of business vs. a lesser opponent (no let-downs) and once in a while shocks a team that, on paper, is "better" (i.e. Unity on Monday!).

I look forward to seeing how we handle a bit of success as of late! And remember, POSSESS POSSESS POSSESS!

Take a look at the weekly schedule below:

**Monday: game vs. Unity (4 pm)…dressed and ready on the game field by 3 pm…Lauren, Ayla, and Taylor be ready for Varsity game duties.

**Tuesday: practice 3-5 pm.

**Wednesday: game vs. Holland (4 pm)…dressed and ready on the game field by 3 pm…Katlyn, Brook, and Grace be ready for Varsity game duties.

**Thursday: practice 3-5 pm.

**Friday: game @ Z.East (5 pm)…bus leaves at 4 pm…you may ride home with parents on this night.

Note: As mentioned above, our team theme for this coming week is POSSESSION. Simply put, the team that owns the majority of the possession in a given game usually wins the contest…usually. :)  Regarding our past team theme of MENTAL TOUGHNESS, congrats again to Taylor for her winning the captain award!

Take care, all! Let's keep this thing rolling in the right direction!

2-0 Win @ Z.West

Ladies,

Congrats again on a well-earned first win of the season last night vs. a conference foe! Well done. Now that we've tasted a bit of success on the scoreboard, it's time to get a bit greedy and keep this ball rolling--continuing today in a Hopkins match!

Remember though, we're going to have to continue to focus on communication, physical toughness, mental toughness…and our current new theme of POSSESSION. Simply put, the team that owns the majority of the possession during a given match usually wins the game. We CAN do it…and we can do it much better than we even did it yesterday!

Looking forward to seeing you again. Bus leaves at 315 PM.

1-0 Loss vs. H.C.

Hi girls,

I hope you are all doing well and keeping in mind that we very much DID take another positive step forward today in our match vs. H.C. As the coach, I couldn't be more proud of your overall effort. As I mentioned in our post-game talk, the performance today that you ladies put in vs. the Maroons was the best performance I've witnessed against a traditionally tough team in my nine years at the JV helm. Please focus on the positives regarding today!

And for those of you who stayed for the entire Varsity game, you witnessed Hawkeye success on the scoreboard as well as the field. That will be us someday in the near future if we stay the course!

See you tomorrow for 3-5 practice!

Upcoming Week

Hi, girls!

Here goes with the schedule for this upcoming week:

**Monday…practice 3-5 pm.

**Tuesday…first home game vs. Holland Christian (4 pm)…dressed and ready at the field by 3 pm…ball/vid girls, be ready!

**Wednesday…practice 3-5 pm.

**Thursday…game @ Z.West (5 pm)…bus leaves at 415 pm.

**Friday…no school…game @ Hopkins (415 pm)…bus leaves at 245 pm.

Note: This coming week's team theme is MENTAL TOUGHNESS. More details to come. And on a side note, congrats again to Kora Ruiz for her being named as "physically tough" by her teammates this past week!

Take care, girls. Let's be ready to get back to work on Monday outside!

2-1 Loss to Hudsonville

Checking in again, ladies!

PLEASE keep your heads up regarding where we're at currently as a team. A tough loss like last night (after a loss the previous night) can tend to take the wind out of a team's sails a bit, but we cannot let that happen. As I mentioned in our final huddle last night after the game, an overall positive step in the right direction WAS made in our game…despite the final score. WE WILL KEEP GETTING BETTER! Just stay the course…and get better in practice…starting today.

See you all soon, girls!

2-0 Loss to Byron Center

Hey, girls.

I hope we're all ready to bounce back yet again today with another match--especially after a tough loss last night in which I really thought we played mostly toe-to-toe with a pretty good team! As I mentioned in the final huddle last night, we need to all come up with some possible solutions to get us out of this early bit of a rut we're in. We'll chat today and hopefully enact the solutions on the field!

Keep your collective heads up, please! Remember, it's early…and we'll continue to improve with hard work and a positive team attitude.

Welcome back!

Hi, everyone! I really hope you were able to enjoy a fun, rejuvenating break!

At this point, it's about that time to get back to work inside the classroom and out, right??!

First, it'd be great if you all took a bit of time to review our team "core values" as well as our set of team goals to the right when you can…just as a bit of a healthy reminder. In addition, our past "team theme" has been COMMUNICATION and currently is TEAM UNIFICATION. We'll vote on the latter regarding an alternate captain tomorrow (Monday) at the conclusion of outdoor practice. In other words, you'll decide who has been doing the most sincere job of getting all of us individuals to gel as a team early on here in the season!

Next, take a look at the schedule for the week below:

**Monday…3-5 practice…dress warmly…team dinner at my house at 630 PM.

**Tuesday…game at Hudsonville (530 PM)…bus leaves at 430 PM….more details later.

**Wednesday…game at Byron Center (5 PM)…bus leaves at 4 PM…more details later.

**Thursday…3-5 practice.

**Friday…3-5 practice.

Note: our team theme this coming week is PHYSICAL TOUGHNESS/AGGRESSION…something I think we'd all agree that, based on much of our last performance vs. Middleville, we need more of from here on out in order to help us reach our goals! More details to come...

Take care, all, and very much looking forward to seeing you all again and getting back to work.

6-0 Loss to Middleville...

Hey, ladies.

Regarding our first game of the season last night, let it simply be a valuable lesson learned early on here…namely that we can ALL be much more physically tough for the ENTIRE course of the game vs. ANY opponent. Exhibit A was our second half of last night's game compared to our first half. In other words, it was a much better all-around effort that second half, all things considering. But as I said last night, there's no need to overreact since the season is so young!

We've still got a lot of season left……:)

Take care, all, and please enjoy your break, be safe, stay fit, get some ball touches, and recharge the ol' batteries!

Upcoming "pre-Spring Break" Week!

Hey, ladies! Really hope you're enjoying the sunshine today and being outside and active?? Love it…

Speaking of weather, can't wait to be outside tomorrow for practice FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS SEASON!! Woowhoo! :)

See below regarding the shortened week's events:

**Monday…practice outside from 3-5 PM. Bring running shoes just in case.

**Tuesday…practice outside from 3-5 PM. Bring running shoes just in case.

**Wednesday…game at Middleville…bus leaves right after school…more details later.

**Thursday/Friday…no practice. ENJOY SPRING BREAK!

**Monday, April 14…Stieper and I would like to host our first JV team dinner after practice…more details later…hope you can make it!

Miscellaneous: Congrats again to Mikayla and Brook for their team captain picks on Friday…as well as Teagan for her "team award" win regarding her communication skills!

Miscellaneous (part two): Our "team theme" for this coming week (piggy backing on one of our team goals below and to the left) is TEAM--in other words, we need to all strive somehow to include EVERYONE as part of the team…complete acceptance and unification. How can you, yourself, help with this??!!

PS. Reminder that our Z. East cancelled game from last week is now rescheduled for Friday, May 2.

Take care, all! And we'll see you all on the practice field tomorrow!

JV Week #2!!

Hi, ladies! Hope you're all having a great weekend thus far??

Here goes with the schedule for this upcoming week:

**Monday…practice (NO GAME) 445-7 in the HS (with Coach Stieper/Varsity as I will be absent).

**Tuesday…practice 445-7 in the HS

**Wednesday…practice (NO GAME) 3-5 in the HS

**Thursday…practice 445-7 in the HS (team meeting at some point in my classroom)

**Friday…practice 3-5 (team pics at some point…stay tuned)

Miscellaneous: We will continue our important team theme of COMMUNICATION this coming week and continue to find effective ways to reach each other! And don't forget to "study up" regarding that player packet! :) In all seriousness, it's simply a good way to learn a bit more about each other as we head into the beginning stages of the season. Hope you agree!

Take care, girls, and let me know if you need anything at all!

Upcoming Weekly Schedule

Hey, girls!

I hope you're having a great weekend?!

Please see below regarding some soccer news/notes/updates:

**Monday…practice in the HS gym from 5 to 7 PM.

**Tuesday…practice 5-7 PM.

**Wednesday…practice 3-5 PM…parent meeting directly after practice (more details to come)

**Thursday…practice 5-7 PM.

**Friday…practice 5-7 PM.

Note: Keep in mind our current "team theme"--EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION! We can all strive to get better in this department on a daily basis, yes??

Miscellaneous: Be reminded that you and a parent should read and sign the attendance policy page you received in my classroom…both sides…by tomorrow!

See you all soon!

Welcome to JV Girls Soccer 2014!

Girls,

I'm really looking forward to working with all of you this season! Let's get this thing off to a great, positive start. Please at ANY point let me know if/how I can help you all with anything and everything!

Take care!

5 v. 5 Holiday Tournament Info

Hello, all!

First, Happy Holidays to you and yours! May it be a safe, fun, happy "season" for you all!

Regarding the upcoming Holiday 5 v. 5 soccer tournament at the high school, check out the link below and/or your respective team captain's email account in order to be updated on the schedule, bracket, etc. for that day.

http://hamiltongirlssoccer.weebly.com/1/post/2013/12/soccer-tournament-brackets.html

Don't hesitate to contact either me or Coach Stieper with any questions, concerns, and/or comments!

Take care, all!

Correction on below...

Monday's (June 3) Year-End Banquet will be held at the MIDDLE SCHOOL CAFETERIA...not the high school. Sorry about the confusion! Hope to see you all there.

End of Season BANQUET

Girls, I hope to see you all on Monday, June 3 at 6 PM (High School Cafe) for our end-of-season celebration! Lookin' forward to it....

More details to come...

Season-ending 2-1 Loss vs. GRC

Girls, what an effort you guys gave today vs. a pretty talented opponent in our final game of the season. You guys have NOTHING to hang your heads about. Honestly, yes, giving up a game-deciding goal in the final 2 minutes was tough, but your collective heroics before then gave us a chance to even be IN the game, ya know? Congrats...no matter the outcome. Congrats...for a rewarding season all around.

I'll see you all in my classroom tomorrow for our last team meeting! Please bring all uniform items if you can.

2-1 Win vs. Kenowa Hills

Ladies, I meant what I said after today's game regarding how proud I was of your fight in the second half. To be down 1-0 at half after having played pretty badly all around, you guys certainly could have tanked and mailed it in. But as I knew you would, you rebounded with max effort and put away a team we should always beat. In our next (and last) game, we can't afford to sleep walk in the first half! Let's make it a full 70 min. effort to end the season right, huh?

See you tomorrow for a delayed (around 315 PM) practice!

3-2 Win vs. BC....and More

Girls, job well done all around the field for the most part today. Things got a little dicey at the end there trying to hold onto the lead, but you guys handled everything well down the stretch. Feels good to get back to winning (while playing soundly at the same time), huh? And after struggling to find the back of the net as of late, it was extra nice to pump 3 goals in there today!

Ok, so now here goes with our final week's schedule:

**Monday...game @ Kenowa Hills (5 PM)...bus leaves at 330 PM.

**Tuesday...our last practice! We'll start at 315 since I have an interview right after school for 20-30 minutes...fyi.

**Wednesday...our last game! We play at GR Christian (615 PM...Varsity plays first at 430)...bus leaves right after school.

**Thursday...off

**Friday...team meeting in my room right after school until 330-ish...be ready to hand in all uniform items! Please let me know ahead of time if you cannot attend.

Have a great weekend, girls! Lookin' forward to seeing you guys again....

2-0 Unity Loss

Ladies, let's simply focus on the IMPROVEMENT we made when comparing our last outing vs. Unity to our game today...especially in light of the dose of adversity we've been facing as of late. In other words, keep your collective heads up and be proud of the overall, patchwork effort you had in there today against a talented opponent.

See you all tomorrow for practice!

2-0 Zeeland West Loss

Ladies, I think we should be a bit disappointed with the loss today. Simply put, I think you all would agree that that's a team we can beat. BUT keep in mind, we've got some people out...some people in new positions...etc. We WILL keep getting better...no doubt. Let's play a FULL 70 minutes vs. Unity though.

See you tomorrow for practice!

1-1 Tie vs. Wayland...and more

Girls, job well done in the evenly played match today vs. a sound opponent in Wayland. It was a pretty entertaining game to watch in that both teams generated plenty of chances on the offensive end, and both teams came up with big defensive plays to help their respective causes throughout the game. It will be a similar battle (again) this coming Monday in a rematch vs. Zeeland West. Be ready!

Speaking of Monday, here is the lineup for next week:

**Monday: game at Zeeland West (5 PM)...bus leaves at 4/415..."dress up" in school. Robinson will not be in school but will see you in Zeeland!

**Tuesday: practice 3-5 PM

**Wednesday: home game vs. Unity at 4 PM...ball girls, be ready.

**Thursday: practice 3-5 PM

**Friday: home game vs. Byron Center...ball girls, be ready.

That's it for now, girls! Have a stupendous weekend. Time is ticking on the season...make every day count!

3-1 Spirited Loss vs. H. Christian

Girls, you deserve a "congrats" for your overall effort vs. the Maroons today. NOT that we're in to "moral victories", but I meant what I said after the game that that was certainly one of the best efforts i've witnessed in my years a JV coach against that specific opponent. Now, let's STAY CONFIDENT and of equal importance, WORK AT A HIGH, COMPETITIVE RATE AT ALL TIMES IN PRACTICE SO THAT WE ARE BETTER SUITED FOR GAME-LIKE CONDITIONS!

Speaking of practice, my math was waaaay off (not surprising) after the game today: we officially have 4 practices left in the season. Are we going to truly relish those opportunities to compete, get better, and prepare for games?! See you tomorrow, ladies.

2-1 Win at Byron Center

Ladies, I thought we did an admirable all-around job on the turf last night vs. Byron Center. Things got a bit dicey in the second half due to our defensive positioning, etc., but you guys deserve credit for pulling through. Let's keep things positive for this second half of the season!

See you at practice where we'll get better with every touch.

Next Week...

Hey, girls. Here's the lineup for this coming week:

**Monday...game at Byron Center (5 PM)..."dress up" in school...bus leaves at 345 PM.

**Tuesday...practice 3-5 pm

**Wednesday...home game vs. Holland Christian (4 PM)...ball girls, be ready.

**Thursday...practice 3-5 pm

**Friday...home game vs. Wayland (4 PM)...ball girls, be ready.

Looking forward to a great, successful week, ladies! Please always keep in mind (and in "practice") our THEMES thus far this season--communication, physical toughness, positive attitude, and composure (congrats again to you, Mista!). Plus, please remember our team meeting in my classroom regarding our verbal reflection (weaknesses/strengths) on our team thus far at the halfway point of the season. See you all soon!

Game Time Change...

Our May 22 JV game at G.R. Christian has shifted to 615 PM that evening. Please communicate this with your families!

0-0 Tie vs. Holland (again)...

Girls, job well done today in most departments--dealing with the heat, owning possession, winning balls, being sound defensively and in the net, etc. It should be a bit frustrating though that we couldn't put that team away. We've got to find a way to deliver on our offensive opportunities, and we will in the future! You guys certainly looked COMPOSED out there at the very least.

See you tomorrow in my classroom dressed and ready to go for outdoor practice at 3 PM. Have a good night!

5-0 Unity Loss...

Girls, in retrospect, I thought we really did show some positive spurts at times in the game vs. Unity last night, but unfortunately, they were few and far between. From here on out (and again in our rematch with Unity a couple weeks), let's ALWAYS attempt to possess as well as go to/get every loose ball. It's really that simple! And, of course, along the way always stat COMPOSED in whatever we do.

See you for a balmy practice!

4-2 win vs. Hopkins...and more

Ladies, I loved the way you responded to a halftime challenge today in our game vs. Hopkins. The second half was certainly a few steps up from our relative complacency from the first half. Job well done. And now you can enjoy the weekend even more, right? :)

Here's the schedule for next week:

**Monday...game at Unity (5 PM)...bus leaves at 345 PM...food will be provided in the cafeteria after school (be sure to thank Mrs. Blowers for organizing all of that!)

**Tuesday...practice 3-5 PM

**Wednesday...home game vs. Holland (4 PM)...check ball girl schedule!

**Thursday/Friday...practice 3-5 PM

As for our upcoming theme, we'll definitely need a strong dose of it on Monday (and beyond). Our newest theme is "COMPOSURE": cool, calm, collected under pressure...in ANY circumstance. How can we all do this on a consistent basis?? I'm looking forward to seeing our first set of official results starting Monday against a very quality opponent.

Have a great weekend, all! And remember to ACCEPT EVERYONE NO MATTER WHAT!! :)

1-0 Win Vs. Zeeland West

Ladies, another "congrats" on your overall efforts today in our first home game. I really thought that on the whole, we possessed well, made smart defensive plays, and had some timely goalkeeping...all in the winning effort. Let's keep this up in order to continue on our road to meeting our goals!

See you tomorrow for regular outdoor 3-5 PM practice.

6-0 H.C. Loss

Keep your collective heads up, ladies. I hear your second half effort vs. the Maroons yesterday was much better than the first, so let's choose to focus on the that as we move forward, ok? I'm really sorry to have missed the game! School duty called...

Lookin' forward to continuing our team progress as we keep our goals/what we stand for idea in mind!

GK Camp

Please pass this along to any GK who may be interested in a summer GK camp that I, along with a fellow ex-MSU GK, will put on this July 2013.

http://elitegoalkeepingcamp.blogspot.com/

Latest Updates

Well, we went 1 for 3 this week regarding actual game competition. Next week WILL be better...promise (kinda)!

In all seriousness though, we shall all remain with "POSITIVE ATTITUDES" no matter the circumstances, right? So here goes with the tentative schedule for next week:

**Monday...game at Holland Christian (5 PM)...bus leaves at 4 PM...Malefyt will be your coach due to HS P/T Conferences

**Tuesday...practice 3-5 PM

**Wednesday...home game vs. Zeeland West (4 PM)

**Thursday...practice 3-5 PM

**Friday...home game vs. Hopkins (4 PM)

We keep rollin' either way, girls!

PS. Our previously cancelled Byron Center game this past Wednesday has been rescheduled for Friday, May 17 (home/4 pm).

0-0 Tie Vs. Holland...and more

Hi, ladies. Well, we were back in action finally, so that's a great thing, right? The match vs. Holland yesterday was kind of "blah" in my opinion: not many scoring/offensive opportunities...and we can do a much better job of simple possession. I DID like though the general good intentions of playing the ball wide (esp. out of the back) and to space as safe outlets. Plus, I liked seeing the strong, physical work ethic from the team for the duration of the game. Let's get better though and NOT BE COMPLACENT!!

Note: the ball girl schedule for home varsity games has just been released, and for tomorrow (Wed.), Tiny and Cam should be prepared. As for Fri., Lauren and Kendra should be prepared. Finding suitable subs is always an option as well, but SOMEONE must be there.

See you soon, ladies.

Schedule for next week...

...and some other thoughts:

**Monday...game at Holland at 5 PM...bus leaves at 4...wear jeans and warmup top to school.

**Tuesday...practice 3-5 PM...team dinner at Logan's at 7/730?

**Wednesday...home game vs. Byron Center at 4 PM...dressed and ready for warmups at 3 PM.

**Thursday...practice 3-5 PM

**Friday...home game vs. Hudsonville at 4 PM...get-together at Tiny's later on?

**NOTE: Kenowa Hills game has been rescheduled for Monday, May 20 at 5 PM (at K.H.)

I'm sure we're all VERY ready for some outdoor practice/game action, yes, girls? I know I am. Prepare yourselves accordingly. And don't forget about our continuing themes--communication and physical toughness!

See you soon, girls, and have a great weekend.

Recent Update

Ladies,

Sorry about the cancelled game today vs. Zeeland East...bummer. But Michigan weather is what it is, right? Oh, well....

I really WAS looking forward to seeing you guys be PHYSICALLY TOUGH (our theme for the week) in all aspects out there though...with the weather, in the game, etc. Please keep in mind how else we can all be collectively and individually "tough/strong" here on out. We'll have practice tomorrow and then a game vs. Middleville on Thursday (Frannie still as alternate captain)...and then at the conclusion of practice Friday, we'll vote on nominees who consistently display the theme.

On one last note, be prepared to possibly practice indoors tomorrow right after school if the weather continues the way it has. We'll meet in my room at 3 PM dressed and ready to go, if so...

See you soon, girls!

Spring Break Greetings

Hi, girls! I hope you're already enjoying the first bit of time here on Break?! Here in Michigan, at least the sun's out and it's a bit warmer!

Anyway, a few items for you for over Break and beyond:

**Congrats again to one of our new permanent captains--Mikayla VanFleeren--as chosen by team vote at the end of practice yesterday. Keep up the good work, Mikayla! And remember, the rest of you, we can ALL strive to be "captain-like" at any given time and in any given context. To the captain Mikayla is replacing, good luck to you, Melinda, on the Varsity squad! You'll be great.

**PLEASE stay/get in shape over Break...anaerobic/aerobic stuff...touches on the ball...all of it. As you'll see below, we immediately jump back into competition after Break (and without Spain travelers, Kaitlyn and Cam).

**So here goes with the schedule for after Break:

-Monday...outdoor practice from 3-5 PM

-Tuesday...away game vs. Zeeland East at 5 PM

-Wednesday...outdoor practice from 3-5 PM

-Thursday...home game vs. Middleville at 4 PM

-Friday...practice from 3-5 PM

________________

I'm mostly content with the start to our season, but we'd all agree that we've got plenty of work to do!

Have a safe, fun Break, girls, and please let me know if you need anything at all.

2-0 Win @ Coop.

Ladies, considering the circumstances today (weather/lack of outdoor practice), I was proud of the overall effort vs. the Broncos. Job well done. Feel free to check out the "game recap" link below and to the left to view some highlights...in words of course...the English teacher in me :)

Now, let's all be honest and know that we need a lot more training at this point. No need to get complacent already, and I know you girls won't. And that "practice" will commence tomorrow...outside...at 3 PM...pics at 4 PM in the HS cafe. Be prepared!

See you guys soon...congrats again.

Weekend Thoughts...and Next Week

Hi, girls. I hope the weekend is treating everyone well?!

Ok, first, check out the newly updated "roster" link below and to the left in order to view our complete team for the first official time. Yea! As you scroll down this page, you'll also notice our recently voted-upon "core values" and "team goals" for the season. Review these MEANINGFUL thoughts/ideas often and do something every single day (as an individual and as a team) to somehow meet these worthy expectations. Of course, I will help along the way!

Second, congrats to all of our voted-upon team captains from the past handful of days: Leanne, Melinda, and Tiny for the permanent captain positions...and Frannie for being the best embodiment of "communication" this past week thereby earning her the rotating captain nod. Keep up the good work, girls!

Now, regarding our schedule for this coming week (which is still up in the air), here's what we've got thus far:

**Monday...game (still up in the air) at Coopersville at 4 pm...bus right after school...all black jerseys/uniform items...black jersey, warmup tops, jeans for school. IF we do not have a game, still prepare for outdoor practice from 3-5 PM on the practice field. Dress warmly!

**Tuesday...plan for outdoor practice from 3-5 PM...team pics @ ??

**Wednesday...game at Kenowa Hills at 5 PM...bus leaves @ ??

**Thursday/Friday...Spring Break...enjoy! And stay in shape!

That's it for now, ladies. Please let me know if/how I can help at any time! Either way, I'm looking forward to a great week.

Weekend Thoughts

Hi, ladies.

Again, good/hard work yesterday with our first conditioning session. True character shines through when battling with mental and physical fatigue...for the first day, I like what I saw, but we can still improve.

Thanks for sharing your written thoughts via the questionnaires you filled out. After having read them, it seems we all have a lot in common...namely the following:

**Left feet need work!

**Teamwork...unity....togetherness...all are important to you collectively.

**Communication (all types) is KEY.

Regarding that last sentiment, our first THEME of the season for the duration of next week will be just that: COMMUNICATION...and all of the different methods/contexts quality communication can/needs to occur in order to ensure success on the field and off. Each of us should focus on how we all can personally get better at such an important life skill. Be prepared to talk about that on Monday first thing and then throughout the week (and beyond, of course). On Friday, we'll have a team vote as to which individual best exemplified that theme, and she will be our first "rotating" captain (along with the permanent captains) for our first two games of the season the following week.

Have a great weekend, all! Be sure to check the schedule again below for the upcoming week of training.

An Official Welcome!

Welcome to the Hamilton High School soccer program, ladies! Let me first say how excited I am to work with you all this coming season. My overall goal is to help you grow as WHOLE individuals: person, student, athlete...in that order. Let's get off to a great start!

Here's the tentative schedule for next week:

**Monday...outdoor practice from 3-5 PM

**Tuesday...outdoor practice from 3-5 PM

**Wednesday...outdoor practice from 3-5 PM

**Thursday...team meeting at 3 PM, indoor training, team pics in the cafe at 515 PM

**Friday...outdoor practice 3-5 PM

PS. As always, check out the "schedule" link below and to the left to view the season's general schedule. We'll also be having a parent meeting at some point this coming week as well...more details to come.

2013 Season Schedule

Hey, all! Check out the link below and to the left for the upcoming practice/game schedule for this upcoming season. It's the same link that Coach Malefyt shared with you via email, but I thought i'd post it here as well. Looking forward to starting!!

End-of-Season Banquet UPDATE

All,

If you've not yet checked your school email accounts regarding banquet specifics, please do ASAP!

Note: Our banquet on Monday is at 630 PM and not 6 PM as previously stated below.

I'm looking forward to seeing you all again for the last time before the summer!

Ending the Season On a High Note

Ladies,

Congrats on the season-concluding 1-0 win vs. Paw Paw today! You guys were solid all game, and I was proud of your overall effort yet again...like I have been all season. I know we may not have met every single team goal we set at the beginning of the season, but nonetheless you guys showed character and heart throughout the season. Way to go! You've made a coach immensely proud to be a part of such an endeavor.

FINAL OVERALL RECORD: 6-8-4 (3-5-1 CONFERENCE)

We'll see you girls soon this Friday for our end-of-season team meeting and then again for the banquet on Monday, June 4 (see below).

Don't forget to bring all of your uniform items to my classroom right after school on Friday!

Take care, girls...again, GREAT JOB.

End-of-Season Banquet

Mark your calendars...

MONDAY, JUNE 4 AT 6 PM (HIGH SCHOOL CAFETERIA)

More details to come....

Happy Birthday To Me!

And one of the main reasons it is a very happy birthday for me is because of your all-around performance today, girls! Not to mention the serenade after the game...along with the thoughtful, humungous b-day card...hahaha. Thank you!!!!

In all seriousness, I was really proud overall of the way you guys played today in the impressive, convincing 4-0 defeat of a decent Zeeland West squad. I really thought we were hitting on all cylinders...from every position...for most if not all of the game. A job well done to all of you! You certainly made (an old) Coach proud :)

Now, we've still got some business to take care of on Wednesday in our last game vs. Paw Paw. Let's continue to finish strong, girls!

Schedule Update

In light of last night's results...

We will play Zeeland West at home on Monday, May 21 at 4 PM. Scheduled ball girls, be ready.

As for the rest of our last week:

**Tuesday: 3-5 practice...remember, we'll have a "pick-your-own-games" type of practice to celebrate our last practice of the season.

**Wednesday: home game vs. Paw Paw at 4 PM...party at the Scholten's immediately following.

**Thursday: off

**Friday: half hour team meeting in my classroom after school to turn in all uniform items and officially wrap up the season.

See you soon, girls. Let's end this season with a bang!

A Small Step Back...

Girls,

After a solid first half vs. rival Holland Christian today, I really thought our overall play dropped off in the second half on our way to a 3-0 loss. We really need to stay POSITIVE in all circumstances, ladies, and today was the first time I, myself, have detected signs of blame/finger-pointing. In all, that will do NOTHING to help our cause. The great thing is that we have two more games left in the season to redeem ourselves! We can do it...no doubt.

Have a great weekend, girls...check back in this weekend at some point for the official schedule for next week. Take care.

Back in the win column!

Ladies,

It was an all-around strong effort today in the first round of the conference tournament vs. Byron Center. Like I said, a (1-0) win is a win. And it's been a while since we've tasted victory, right? You guys did a great job today in owning possession of the ball, creating multiple scoring opportunities, and virtually suffocating any Byron Center opportunity on defense. Nicely done...now let's keep up the good work heading into Friday!

See you all for practice tomorrow....

Another heart-breaker...

Ladies,

Although I thought we put together a pretty good effort today in our 3-2 loss to Wayland, I really think it needs to be overall viewed as a disappointment. Yes, there were some good individual efforts and solid team play, but results are results, girls. And with a 1-0 halftime lead, we simply did NOT PERFORM in that second half. To put it simply, we're running out of time in the season to reach our team (and individual in some circumstances) goals! Not to fret though...there's still time to improve. And i'm confident we will, since I know the overall character of the team.

As for next week...

**Monday: 3-5 practice

**Tuesday: 3-5 practice

**Wednesday: game at home vs. Byron Center at 4 PM...ball girls, be ready...be ready for warm-ups by 315 PM.

**Thursday: 3-5 practice

**Friday: game TBD depending on the varsity result from Wednesday...more news after Wednesday.

Let's get back on the horse, so to speak, everyone! See you all soon...have a great weekend.

Another deceiving outcome...

...in that our 3-1 loss today at Zeeland West didn't tell the whole story of the game. As the game of soccer sometimes goes, the more deserving team doesn't always win...and today was a perfect example, girls! Simply put, we HAVE to cash in on the offensive opportunities we have in a game (and we had plenty of them today), and we can't afford to have major breakdowns in the back end. That's not a recipe for success no matter the context. But we can still build on the positives today: increased awareness to find targets and build...more disciplined one-on-one defense...offensive variety...etc.

Now we set our sights on Wayland for Friday, girls! Back to practice tomorrow...see you soon.

A "deceiving" 4-1 loss to H.C.

Girls,

A loss is still a loss, so we've still got some kinks to work out. That said, I was overall proud of your effort today in a rainy, sloppy game vs. H.C. I thought you battled all game, showed good energy, and played hard until the end...and even had the upper hand with possession at times...especially in the second half. All of that shows character and can/will help us from here on out.

See you tomorrow for practice!

Next Week

Ladies,

Here goes with the schedule for this upcoming week (May 7-11):

**Monday: home game vs. Holland Christian (4 PM)...by ready to warm-ups by 315 pm...ball girls, be ready.

**Tuesday: 3-5 practice

**Wednesday: game at Zeeland West (5 pm)...bus leaves at 4 pm.

**Thursday: 3-5 practice

**Friday: game at Wayland (5 pm)...bus leaves at 330 pm.

From here on out, girls, please keep in mind your personal strengths as well as what I mentioned as "areas of improvement" in my emails to all of you. With 2.5 weeks left in the season, we CAN reach all of our goals!

Quite a (2-1) bounce-back effort!

Ladies,

You deserve many kudos for your character, determination, and positive attitude today in bouncing back from a horrendous first half vs. Allegan to play solid defense and score two unanswered goals in the second half for the win. Job well done! That said, in the future, we need to show up for the FULL 70 MINUTES OF THE GAME! Either way, it was a "bounce-back" effort to be proud of, and it serves to continue to proceed us toward our team goals (and "what we stand for").

See you tomorrow for regular outdoor practice 3-5 PM. And remember, keep checking your email accounts if you haven't yet!

A (5-1) WIN!!!

You should all be commended overall for a deserving win vs. an over-matched opponent in Park today, ladies. We fought through a bit of sloppiness, that's for sure. Either way though, scoring 5 goals is a great sign (and a step forward) for this team, and we need to carry on that offensive output into our next game: a rematch vs. Allegan on Wednesday.

Reminders:

**Team meeting in my room asap after school tomorrow (tues.)...practice outside soon thereafter.

**Check your school email when you get a chance...and at least by Sunday of this week...for "mid-term comments" from me.

**I'll be checking grade reports for all of you this Friday, so prepare accordingly!

Let's keep this ball rolling, girls....

Another Tie (vs. Hopkins) and more...

Ladies,

Despite yet another tie today, I really feel like we can build on our last two game efforts (vs. Byron Center yesterday and Hopkins today). Job well done all over the field regarding increased offensive chances, solid defense, composure, and teamwork. Let's please remember all of these lessons heading into next week's 2-game schedule and beyond.

Speaking of next week's schedule, here goes with it:

**Monday: game at Wyo. Park (5 PM)...dress up for school...bus leaves at 345 PM.

**Tuesday: 3-5 practice

**Wednesday: game at Allegan (5 PM)...not sure when the bus leaves as of yet...it's only us traveling since varsity play Rogers.

**Thursday: 3-5 practice

**Friday: 3-5 practice

In all, we've got a couple more great opportunities next week for success...and wins!

Let me know if you need anything this weekend, girls...stay active...enjoy it all.

0-0 Byron Center Tie

Ladies,

You should all be applauded for an all-around quality effort today from every position on the field. According to how the game played out, we deserved a better result, but i'm still proud of the effort on all ends. Simply put, WE NEED TO CAPITALIZE ON OFFENSIVE OPPORTUNITIES!!! We'll get better...and will have tomorrow to redeem ourselves vs. Hopkins.

Reminders:

**Bus leaves at 245 PM from the high school.

**We are wearing all black.

**I will need official notice from anyone who will not be riding the bus either there or back to school.

**Wake up at a decent time tomorrow, eat healthy foods, get on your feet a bit, do some homework...and BE READY TO WIN!!

See you soon, girls...good job today.

Z.E. 2-0 Loss

Ladies,

Simply put, we've got to do a better all-around job from here on out in order to reach our team goals (as well as what we want to "stand for). That means a total team commitment to our themes: COMMUNICATION, DEDICATION ON AND OFF THE FIELD, PHYSICAL AGGRESSION....AND FOR THIS WEEK, COMPOSURE. Of course, winning games isn't everything as you all know. It's just that I think we can do better...little by little...in practices, games, warm-ups, off the field, all of it. And I truly think that today's game...warm-ups through post-game...was a small step back for us. I never fault your guys' overall effort, but we need to get better in many areas.

Let's right this ship asap, girls!

See you for practice from 3-5 PM tomorrow.

1-1 Allegan tie...and next week

Ladies, another job well done overall today vs. Allegan, especially short-handed as we were/are. It's got to be a bit disappointing to give up a one goal lead and end with a tie, but I never doubted your collective effort or attitudes throughout the game, and neither should any of you. Keep up the good work in that department....and then let's beat Zeeland East on Monday!

Here's the schedule for next week:

**Monday: game at home vs. Zeeland East....be dressed and ready for warm-ups at 315 PM..."dress up" for school...scheduled ball girls, be ready.

**Tuesday: practice 3-5

**Wednesday: practice 3-5

**Thursday: game at home vs. Byron Center...be dressed and ready for warm-ups at 315 PM...dress in school?...scheduled ball girls, be ready.

**Friday: no school...game at Hopkins at 4 PM...bus leaves at 245 PM.

Have a great weekend, ladies. Stay active and enjoy the outdoors...and get some school work done as well!