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!

Checking in...

Sorry for the late notice today about the cancelled practice, ladies!

Here's what we would have talked about at practice today:

**Dress for school tomorrow (Friday) = the captains are to decide and somehow spread the word. If you don't hear anything, please just sport something Hamilton soccer-related.

**Be fully dressed and ready to go for game warmups at 315 PM tomorrow for our home game vs. Allegan.

**It's supposed to be pretty cold and rainy...be prepared!

**Scheduled ball girls, be prepared for the varsity game.

**Tomorrow, we stay physically aggressive (yet in control), play smart soccer, and get back to winning. PS. A delayed congrats to Mista for being voted the rotating team captain regarding this theme!

See you soon, girls.

2-0 Hudsonville Loss Thoughts...

Girls,

Like a couple days ago, I was proud of your physical effort today in the game vs. Hudsonville. You should again be commended for your overall collective ability to step up...physically. We didn't have too many serious offensive chances today or majority possession for that matter, but that doesn't change the fact that I was proud of the effort either way.

We'll see you all for practice tomorrow...in preparation for a big Friday home game vs. Allegan!

Let's get back to our winning ways...deal, ladies?

3-0 Unity Loss Thoughts...

Ladies, I really thought you physically stepped up to the challenge today vs. a strong Unity squad. Job well done in regards to going toe to toe with the opponent and looking confident while doing it. Remember that effort for the near and more distant future.

Next up is another talented team--Hudsonville. Let's build on this effort!

See you for practice tomorrow, girls.

3-1 loss to Middleville...thoughts...and next week

Ladies, I thought overall we put up a spirited effort in our loss to a tough Middleville squad last night. We need to file in our collective memory bank the idea of being AGGRESSIVE and TOUGH for the ENTIRE game as we look to the future. We may not be able to out-talent all of our opponents, but we can out-work them! It's a way to ensure that we'll have a fighting chance in each of our remaining games.

Feel free to check out the "game recap" link to the left.

Ok, so next week:

**Monday: game @ Unity...bus leaves at 345 PM...dress for school?

**Tuesday: 3-5 practice

**Wednesday: game @ Hudsonville...bus leaves at 345 PM...dress for school?

**Thursday: 3-5 practice

**Friday: game vs. Allegan (home)...be dressed and ready to go for warm-ups by 315.

Please continue to review our team goals to the left...and what we aim to stand for as a team as we get rolling back into the heart of our season!

PS. A delayed "congrats" to Megan Dangremond for being elected by her teammates as a rotating captain...for her DEDICATION!

Summer Goalkeeping Camp

This seems a bit random...apologies...but wanted to notify anyone interested of a goalie camp I (and a coaching partner...another former MSU goalie) will be running this July.

Here's the link:

http://elitegoalkeepingcamp.blogspot.com/

Check it out...let me know if you or anyone you know might be interested...etc.!

Team Dinner

We'll have our first team dinner on Wednesday, April 11 at 7 PM until 8-830ish...at Coach Robinson's house (maps and more details to come at tomorrow's team meeting).

Here are the team dinner responsibilities for 16 players and 1 coach...please let me know if any of this is a concern:

**Jersey Numbers 2-6= main meal items

**Jersey Numbers 7-8= starch/dinner bread items

**Jersey Numbers 9-12= fruit/veggie items

**Jersey Numbers 14-15: beverage items

**Jersey Numbers 16-18: utensils...paper plates, plastic eating utensils, napkins, cups

**Jersey Numbers 20-22: dessert items

If anyone would like to swap duties, you can work it out amongst yourselves! Lookin' forward to a fun night, girls. And, of course, work out who's bringing what regarding teammates in your "food group". Please let your parents know asap regarding the above plans. See you tomorrow for a team meeting in my classroom at 3 PM.

We're Baaaack!

Welcome back to reality, girls! :)

Hope the break was therapeutic overall...and that you still got some work done regarding school and fitness?! Regarding "school", i'll be checking in with your teachers shortly regarding grades, etc. Remember, you girls are STUDENTS first...and our first team rule follows that idea. Take care of your business in the classroom...and ask for help if needed.

Ok, here's the tentative schedule for this coming "back to school" week:

**Monday: practice 3-5 PM...supposed to be a bit colder, windy, and perhaps rainy...be ready!

**Tuesday: practice 3-5 PM...TEAM MEETING IN ROBINSON'S ROOM @ 3 PM.

**Wednesday: practice 3-5....TEAM DINNER AT ROBINSON'S HOUSE AT 7 PM.

**Thursday: game @ Middleville (5 PM)...dress at school to be determined.

**Friday: practice 3-5 PM.

Lookin' forward to seeing you all! Let me know if you have any questions, concerns, comments at all at this point...i'm here for ya.

Happy Spring Break!!

Ladies,

Enjoy the R(est) and R(elaxation) with friends and family for the next week and some change. I'm sure it's all much needed in your current lives.

PLEASE be sure to stay conditioned/fit over this next week as well, so that we can hit the ground running come Monday, April 9 for practice.

As requested, here is a recommended workout schedule for the upcoming days off:

**Friday (today) through Sunday: cross-train...in other words, do something non-soccer-related, fun, and active for an hour or so...basketball, tennis, volleyball, biking, roller-blading, etc.

**Monday (April 1): long distance running...at least 2 miles/20-30 mins.

**Tuesday: sprints of some sort (suicides, cutting, straight ahead sprints, etc.) for 20-30 mins.

**Wednesday: cross-train...see above

**Thursday: long distance running...see above

**Friday: sprints...see above

**Saturday: cross-train...see above

**Sunday: OFF

Hope that helps?! Check back later next week for the "back to school" schedule. We have a game on the first Thursday back...fyi. Also, I'm thinking about that team dinner for the return week as well. Tuesday? Wednesday? We'll see...

Game Thoughts...1-0 win vs. Kenowa Hills

Ladies,

First, overall job well done today in notching our first win of the season. Our season "goals" are right on target thus far, and you all should be commended for that. That said, we can still play much better as the season winds on and as we play much better competition. In all, we've got to finish our offensive chances and stay disciplined on defense!

Have a great, safe Spring Break, girls. I'll chime in later regarding conditioning ideas, per request, as well as the schedule for the week we get back. Feel free to contact me if you need anything at all!

Take care.

PS. Once again, feel free to check out the "game recaps" link to the lower left.

Game Thoughts...1-1 Tie @ Coopersville

Well, girls, it was a mostly positive effort last night at Coopersville. It has to at least be mildly disappointing though to give up a late goal like we did after having dominating most of the play for the match. Oh, well...we can chalk that up to the beauty of soccer: anyone can win (or tie...or lose) on any given day no matter the circumstances (i.e. dominating most of the possession, etc.). File that in your memory banks when we, ourselves, go up against the more skilled teams later this season!

Check out the "game recaps" link to the left for some game highlights/thoughts.

Lookin' forward to continuing our team/personal improvements, girls!

Schedule for NEXT WEEK (March 26-30)

**Monday: wear warmups and black jerseys to school...bus leaves at 245 PM...bring healthy snacks/beverages for the bus...be dressed and ready to go by the time we arrive in Coopersville for our 4 PM game...have written or face-to-face consent if you are NOT riding the bus home.

**Tuesday: practice 3-5 PM

**Wednesday: home game vs. Kenowa Hills at 4 PM...scheduled ball girls, be ready...we'll meet on the game field by 315 PM dressed and ready to go for warmups.

**Thursday/Friday: no practice...enjoy your Spring Break, girls!

I'm looking forward to seeing how we start the season, ladies. Review our team goals, "what we stand for" values, and team rules...and then let's get this party started in a positive, successful way!

PS. Congrats again to Ambre Couturier and Amelia Ruiz for their permanent captaincy elections today...as well as Veronica Overbeek for her alternating captaincy based on "communication"!

PPS. Check out the newly updated "2012 JV Girls Roster" link to the left as well!

Schedule Update

We will play at Allegan at a time to be determined on Wednesday, May 2 instead of our originally scheduled Rogers game.

First Full Week SCHEDULE (March 19-23)

**Monday: Team meeting in Coach Robinson's room (room 111...junior hallway) at 3 PM...practice after.

**Tuesday: practice 3-5 PM

**Wednesday: practice 3-5 PM

**Thursday: practice 3-5 PM...Parent Meeting 5 PM...Team Pictures 615 PM

**Friday: practice 3-5 PM

Lookin' forward to a great season, ladies! Be on time and ready on Monday in my room to discuss, brainstorm about, listen to, and watch anything/everything to do with soccer and this upcoming season.

Have a great weekend...and Go, State! :)

Banquet UPDATE

Our end-of-season banquet will be held in the HS Forum Room on Wednesday, June 8 at 6 PM.

Freshmen, please bring drinks to pass for both teams/families.

Sophomores/Juniors, please bring desserts to pass for both teams/families.

Banquet

Our end-of-season, program-wide soccer banquet will take place on Wednesday, June 8 at 6 P.M. at a location yet to be determined. Hope to see you all there!

More details to come....

Final Game Thoughts...and more

Ladies, our 1-1 tie vs. Zeeland West was fitting, I thought: two evenly-matched teams battling it out all afternoon. You guys really responded to a poor first half with a strong all-around second half...job well down with that.

If you check the "game recap" link, you'll see this:

**Final overall record: 11-4-2 (5-3-2 OK Green)
**Goals For: 48
**Goals Against: 9

That's a pretty successful season right there, girls! Be proud of your work this season!

We'll talk a bit more at our end-of-season team meeting tomorrow (Friday) right after school in my room. PLEASE REMEMBER TO BRING ALL (CLEAN) UNIFORM ITEMS: FULL WARM-UPS, TWO SETS OF TOPS, AND SHORTS.

See you all soon! Enjoy your first weekday off in a while....

2-0 Loss to Unity...and more.

Girls, you took another small, positive step last night in a tightly-contested match at Unity. The score perhaps doesn't reflect it, but you aptly hung with that team for much of the game. Job well done! Now we've got one final practice and one final game left...let's match the overall JV wins record (12) tomorrow, PERFORM, and end with a bang!

Details:

**Home game vs. Zeeland West tomorrow (Wednesday) at 4 PM...meet in my room directly after school before dressing...be fully dressed and ready to go on the game field by 315 PM...we need ball girl volunteers as well!

6-0 Win Over West Catholic...and more

Girls, I thought we did a great job all over the field last night in the dominating win over West Catholic...a number of good PERFORMANCES up and down our roster. Nice job! On Monday, we've got a whole different beast to match up against: Unity. We'll certainly have to have the level of PERFORMING that day like we did last night in the win. We can do it though! Remember the solid way in which we played vs. Unity earlier in the season, and remain confident!

Schedule for next week:

**Monday: game at Unity (5 PM)...bus leaves at 3:45...wear warmups/black tops to school...we'll vote on a team captain before the game regarding PERFORMANCE.

**Tuesday: practice...our last one!

**Wednesday: last game...time/location yet to be determined.

**Thursday: OFF

**Friday: short team meeting in Robinson's classroom after school (no later than 4 PM)...bring all uniform items!

Enjoy this last week of soccer, girls! No regrets...PERFORM!

0-0 Byron Center Tie

Ladies, simply put: we need to do a better job of finishing quality offensive chances. I'm sure you guys would agree that today's game should have been a win. We dominated possession, had numerous quality offensive chances, and were solid defensively for the most part (despite two late breakaways for B.C.). Our remaining THEME on the season is PERFORM...and we need to do a better job of focusing and PERFORMING all over the field and especially on offense.

Keep this in mind for our next game vs. West Catholic!

See you for practice tomorrow...our second-to-last practice for the season.

Random

Please pass this along to anyone who might be interested in a soccer goalkeeping camp this summer that I plan to run myself!

http://elitegoalkeepingcamp.blogspot.com/

1-0 Win vs. Wayland

Girls, you did a nice job of battling through some adversity today (injuries, heat, etc.) and staying MENTALLY TOUGH in pulling out the win. We now sit at 10-3 overall on the year...and that's something to be PROUD of...but NOT complacent about! With 4 remaining games in the season, we've got to win at least 3 of them in order to reach our "new" goal of surpassing all other Hamilton JV girls soccer teams in terms of overall number of wins in a season (12).

Our theme for the last two weeks of the season is simply this: PERFORM. Think back to one of our first conversations as a team in my classroom. I stated how every team goes through a typical cycle during a season: forming, storming/norming, and PERFORMING. Luckily, we've had little to no drama on the team thus far, so the "storming" has taken care of itself. "Norming", if you recall, refers to players knowing their roles on the team and being comfortable with them...and I think we've been there for a while now. NOW it's simply PERFORM! In other words, it's time to just buckle down and come through with winning plays during "money time"...stepping up in the clutch...delivering under pressure...however you want to phrase it. So how can you, yourself, do this?! And who has been portraying this idea on a consistent basis? We'll vote on Tuesday for our next interim captain....

Tentative schedule for next week:

**Monday/Tuesday: practice 3-5 PM

**Wednesday: home game at 4 vs. ?

**Thursday: practice 3-5 PM

**Friday: game at GR West Catholic at 5 PM.

I hope you enjoyed the festivities at Amelia's house, girls! Thanks again for the offer, Amelia (and fam). See you soon, girls.

1-0 Loss to H.C.

Girls, overall it was a spirited, strong effort vs. a talented team in tough conditions last night. And for THAT alone, you should be proud. The scoreboard didn't show it, but you guys should remain confident and view the game as yet another building block for the season. Keep it up!

Now, how do we MENTALLY handle an admittedly "lesser" game vs. Wayland tomorrow? In other words, are we MENTALLY TOUGH enough to handle the inevitable emotional come-down of a big game and handle business vs. a lesser foe?! I think we are...but we have to prove it. Let's get back to our winning ways and keep striving toward our team goals posted to the left!

See you at practice.

8-0 win vs. Wyo. Rogers

Girls, another solid job today "taking care of business". Despite some sloppy play in the first half, I thought you really came out in the second half with guns a' blazin'. Way to go...again.

Now, it's time for H.C. Finally...

Our theme this week is MENTAL TOUGHNESS. How can you/we stay even-keel, cool, and composed through ANY situation (i.e. inclement weather, refereeing, opponents, mistakes, etc.)? Let's shoot for that...on the field, in the classroom, and in general!

We'll meet in the HS gym tomorrow for practice from 3-5 PM...come prepared to practice like we'll play vs. H.C.!

Next Week

Ladies, here is the schedule for next week:

**Monday: game vs. Rogers...meet on the field at 3 PM...wear warm-ups to school...ball girls, be ready.

**Tuesday: practice INSIDE from 3-5 PM...dinner/get-together afterward? Let me know ASAP via email and/or text what you're thinking...or you can post on here with a message!

**Wednesday: game @ Holland Christian at 5 PM.

**Thursday: practice 3-5 PM

**Friday: game vs. Wayland...ball girls, be ready.

Remember our current THEME, girls: QUIET CONFIDENCE. Let's take care of business vs. Rogers on Monday and BELIEVE that we can win vs. H.C. on Wednesday!

Have a good, safe weekend, girls.

8-0 win vs. Wyo. Park

And we march on....

Way to give a professional, confident effort today, girls, in "taking care of business" vs. Park. I thought we played a pretty complete game; in other words, our defense was stout once again and our offense created plenty of varied scoring opportunities throughout the shortened match. Keep this up! Especially heading into another big week of soccer next week...

Remember, our THEME of this week continues to be carrying yourselves with QUIET CONFIDENCE. Do this in every aspect of your lives, girls!

See you tomorrow for practice.

2-1 Win @ B.C.

Girls, it was another solid performance yesterday, this time vs. a physical conference opponent. Way to keep the winning ways going! I mean it when I say that this team has a realistic chance to surpass any other JV soccer team here at Hamilton in terms of overall and conference record by the end of the season. BUT, like I said at last night's game, we need to take care of business vs. the lesser opponents and overachieve a bit vs. the "more skilled" opponents coming up on our schedule (i.e. Holland Christian?).

For that reason, our THEME for this week is simply CONFIDENCE...but more importantly HUMBLE CONFIDENCE. In other words it's important that we walk the walk (quietly) and believe that every game will be a win...and then go out and do the positive things you know to do in order to GET that win. Believe that this team can be special. Have that attitude every day! So, how can YOU develop/keep this mentality going personally?! In life, you ARE what you THINK you are.

Let's keep it up!

Scheduling Update

The scheduled JV game for this Thursday vs. Calvin Christian is NOW CANCELED. The varsity game will still occur that day.

4-0 Win vs. Hopkins

Girls, another strong effort today all around. Keep up the good work! I'm proud of the way you girls handle yourselves professionally...during practices, during warmups, and during games. It's a pleasure to watch and experience. I think I told you this before, but the best teams in any sport are the teams that run themselves...without a coach dictating things all the time; in other words, quality player leadership amongst mature teammates = success. We have that...and we NEED to keep that up.

Here's the schedule for next week:

**Monday: game at Byron Center...bus leaves right after school...wear Hamilton-related gear to school.

**Tuesday: practice

**Wednesday: game vs. Wyo. Park at home.

**Thursday: practice (C. Christian game = canceled)...help out with "Formidable Feet" at 4:30 PM before Varsity game at 5 PM.

**Friday: practice

Enjoy the weekend, ladies! Let's keep up the good, hard work!

2-0 Zeeland East Win

Girls, check out the "results" link on the left for a game recap for tonight's game.

Overall, another job well done tonight, girls. As a coach, it's great to see that an entire team plays hard, smart, and for each other each and every time out. We NEED to keep that up as we progress through the heart of the season. Remember one of our first conversations as a team? It was about the four phases in which every team in any team sport goes through during the course of a given season: forming, storming, norming, and performing. It seems to me that we're officially in the norming/performing stages, which a is a great sign. In other words, girls are understanding their roles, their positions, and their expectations as players on the team...and performing to the best of their abilities. Keep that up, girls!

Remember, DETAILS are so important. Keep in mind how YOU can pay more attention to the details of everyday life...it all leads to success!

Hopkins is next...let's go get 'em. See you all tomorrow at 3 PM on the game field dressed and ready to go!

2-0 Loss to Unity...and more.

Girls, it was another hard-fought effort today...this time vs. a talented opponent. I really thought, despite the occasional physical lulls (i.e. headers), that we hung tough throughout the game, didn't look intimidated, and made an honest, composed attempt at offensive possession until the final whistle. In other words, keep that up, girls! We've GOT to keep getting better though...NO COMPLACENCY!!

If you haven't seen the THEME for the week, check out the message below...let's pay attention to the DETAILS of life!

Heads-up: Due to inclement weather and P/T conferences, we will meet in my room tomorrow at 3 PM. Be prepared for indoor athletic work. We should be done by about 4 PM.

Take care tonight, girls!

2-0 Allegan Win...and More.

Girls, it was a nice rebound in the second half of today's game, but again, we NEED to exhibit that physical presence and possession offense for the ENTIRE course of a given game. Either way, job well done fighting through a sloppy game.

Next week's tentative schedule:

**Monday...home game vs. Unity at 4 PM...dress up for school...meet on the game field at 3 PM...ball girls, be ready.

**Tuesday/Wednesday: practice 3-5 PM

**Thursday: game AT Zeeland East at 5 PM.

**Friday...no school...home game vs. Hopkins at 4 PM.

Our theme for this next week is DETAILS. In other words, the team/individuals who pay attention to the small things (finishing every offensive run, making an honest effort on every 50/50 ball, going hard until hearing a whistle, being mentally focused at all times, finishing every sprint, even stretching and warming up properly, etc.) have the most success. It's that way in everyday life as well. So, how can YOU/WE get better with the DETAILS of the game on a daily basis? Let's make every effort to get better in this area.

Have a great weekend, girls. Look forward to a true challenge this Monday vs. Unity! Believe in yourselves!

Scheduling Update

Our canceled game vs. Calvin Christian this past Monday has been rescheduled for Thursday, May 5 at 4 P.M. (home).

Impressive 2-0 Win vs. Zeeland West

Girls, I meant what I said after the game today: it was one of the more impressive wins that i've witnessed in my history as Hamilton's JV girls soccer coach...what with the consistent physical play, teamwork, individual performances, and battling through the existing weather conditions...all against a quality opponent. Overall, a job well done, ladies!

You know (or should know) what's coming next from me though: we CANNOT become complacent all of the sudden. In other words, if we are simply satisfied with this win and start to get lazy, we're in for a letdown at Allegan on Friday and beyond. Let's prevent that from happening and keep working toward our team and individual goals!

We'll see you for practice tomorrow (Thursday) for important Allegan prep time...our next opponent.

Loss to Middleville...and more.

Girls, I really think the Middleville game was lost due to their physical superiority and overall toughness. Hence, our theme this coming week (and staring today) will be PHYSICAL TOUGHNESS. In other words, we need to bring that aura of aggressive assertiveness on EVERY tackle and 50/50 ball...in any context on the practice and game field...no matter how physically big we actually are. Don't get me wrong, I felt like we still played a pretty strong game last night, but we needed to step up physically and match their intensity a bit more. The great thing is, we've got a lot of time to right the ship in that regard!

Here's the lineup for next week:

**Monday: home game vs. Calvin Christian at 4 PM...wear full game warm-ups to school..meet on the game field at 3 PM.

**Tuesday: practice 3-515 PM

**Wednesday: home game vs. Zeeland West at 4 PM...meet on the game field at 3 PM.

**Thursday: practice 3-515 PM

**Friday: game at Allegan at 5 PM...bus leaves ??

Have a great weekend, girls. Keep in mind how you can individually improve thus far and how we, as a team, can keep improving!

Checking in...again.

Hi, girls! I hope you enjoyed your Spring Break. Ready to get back to work?! I bet....:)

First, check out the post below if you haven't already...and let me know what you think when you get a chance.

Second, here's the plan for this coming week:

Monday: practice (3-515 PM)...WE'LL MEET IN MY CLASSROOM AT 3 PM FOR A BRIEF TEAM MEETING. BE DRESSED AND READY TO GO FOR OUTDOOR PRACTICE AFTERWARD.

Tuesday: practice (3-515 PM)

Wednesday: practice (3-515 PM)...team dinner at my house at 715 PM.

Thursday: home game vs. Middleville....meet on the game field by 3 PM dressed and ready to go.

Friday: practice (3-515 PM)

Note: we'll still focus on COMMUNICATION as our weekly theme next week. Keep in mind how YOU can improve each and every day in this aspect!

That's it for now, girls. I'm looking forward to getting back to work and seeing you all. Go, Hawks!

Early Proposal

Hey, girls. First, I hope you're enjoying your break thus far! Can we get some sun around here, please? :)

Second, i'd like to host you girls at my house for a team dinner on Wednesday, April 13 sometime after our practice that day (probably 700-730?). I wanted to alert you ahead of time so that perhaps you could plan ahead, notify parents, etc. If we've got enough takers, we'll roll with that plan and follow the food/beverage arrangements below:

Jersey #'s 2-6 = main course
Jersey #'s 7-10 = bread/starch
Jersey #'s 11-14 = fruits/veggies
Jersey #'s 15-20 = beverages/desserts

I will provide utensils. Address and more details to come...

Take care, girls!

Kenowa Hills thoughts...

...and more.

Ladies, another job well done in our first away game of the season (and last before Spring Break). I'm proud of the way you've handled yourselves thus far...on the field and off. Let's keep this thing rollin' when we come back from break. Be sure to KEEP FIT over the next week and a half...and of course, remember to HAVE FUN AND BE SAFE!!

Check out the "recap" link to the left if you want...

Be sure to please check back in on this site since i'll post at least one more time later in the week next week.

Enjoy, girls! Let me know if you need anything at all.

First Game Thoughts...

Girls, all in all, a job well done today in our first match (5-0 win) of the season. Considering our four team goals (and the fact that we were missing a couple key girls due to illness...get better soon, Maddie and Alyssa!), it was a great way to start the season.

Now, let's not got carried away...we've still got a lot of work to do. And we'll be playing more talented teams this season, that's for sure. We need to keep developing good habits (like COMMUNICATION) in practices and in games.

Feel free to check out the newly updated "roster" and "recap" links to the left.

Let's get better tomorrow with a solid practice before our next match vs. Kenowa Hills!

PS. Our bus leaves at 315 PM on Wednesday after school for the game, and we'll have snacks and drinks in the cafeteria after school before boarding the bus.

See you all tomorrow!

Weekend Updates

Hi, girls. First, I hope you're already having a good, restful weekend! I hope you've been able to access this site with ease as well.

Multiple items:

**Check out the newly added items to the left regarding goals, rules, standards, etc. KEEP THESE TEAM-VOTED IDEAS ALWAYS IN MIND..ESPECIALLY AT THE START OF THIS SEASON! I've also added a link to our season schedule in case you lose your copy. To come in the near future, our official roster and game recaps...

**Next week's schedule...home game on Monday at 4 PM vs. Coopersville, practice on Tuesday outside, away game at Kenowa Hills at 5 PM on Wednesday, no practice Thursday or Friday for Spring Break.

**Monday reminders...we'll wear our full warm-ups to school for the day, we'll meet fully dressed and ready to go for the game at 3 PM outside on the game field (warm-up CD, captains?), and plan on staying for at least half of the varsity game to follow. Dress warmly! Sid and Megan V., be ready to "ball girl" for the varsity game.

**Congrats to Taylor for her "rotating captain" recognition yesterday...well done, GK! Also, a delayed "congrats" to Niki and Sid for their official captain recognition...much deserved. We can all be positive leaders though...right, girls?

**Our weekly theme next week will be COMMUNICATION: in other words, how can we ALL demonstrate a level of positive verbal and non-verbal communication...on and off the field. Communication is KEY...in ALL situations! On the field, it makes the game of soccer sooooo much easier. Let's demonstrate this first starting on Monday.

I'm looking forward to starting this season off with a bang next week. Think positively...visualize success...and be there for each other no matter the circumstances, girls! See you all on Monday.

Team Meeting

We'll be meeting in my classroom at 3 PM tomorrow (Tuesday) for our first official team meeting. Bring a pencil and indoor soccer gear since we will NOT be heading outside.

Also, bring ideas about team goals, team captains, team rules, and team standards we'd like to stand for all season long.

PS. We will have official team pictures at 5 PM this Thursday on the soccer field...more news to come.

Looking forward to a good week of soccer and team-building!

Start of the Season

Girls, I'm really excited to work with the 17 of you this season. The expectation is that we'll work hard, stay positive, grow as soccer players and people....and have fun doing it!

Have a good, restful weekend. Stay tuned to updates this weekend on next week's schedule. It's looking like we'll have our first official team meeting on Tuesday or Wednesday of next week in my classroom instead of Monday due to the weather forecast.

Again, stay tuned. Lookin' forward, everyone!

Tryouts

Hi, everyone. Reiterating the announcement that Coach Malefyt just made, our first day of tryouts on Monday, March 14 will be OUTSIDE. We'll meet in my room (#111) initially at 3:15 PM (be dressed already) and then head outside for training until about 530 PM.

See you all then! Dress warmly! Looking forward....

Skill Session Sign-up

Starting on Thursday, Jan. 27 (and on each successive Thursday in the middle school balcony area), the following groups of 4 will meet with either Coach Malefyt or myself:

3:00-3:30 PM (Robinson)...Morgan Stillson, Tyler Immink, Aaron Polet, Deban Scholtehn
3:00-3:30 PM (Malefyt)...Shannon Blourne, Emily Grady, Libby Stafford, Sidney Grady
3:30-4:00 PM (Robinson)...Nicole Brigert, Jessica Holst, Cody Weber, Travis Williams
3:30-4:00 PM (Malefyt)...Ambre Couturier, Megan Dangremond, Amelia Ruiz, Hannah Krause

Mark it down on your calendars, show up early to your session to warm up and stretch on your own, wear indoor soccer/tennis shoes, and bring water!

See Coach Malefyt or myself for questions or concerns. Lookin' forward to working with you all!

OFFICIAL off-season training...

A note from Coach Malefyt...

Hello everyone!
Here is the information for this years winter training schedule. Availability in the middle school balcony is not ideal so we are making the best of what we have. There are really four different things that we have planned for you:
1. One Structured day per week for circuit training in the middle school balcony. This will happen 3-4 on Mondays. The first date for this will be January 24.
2. One structured day per week for a running program that Coach Wandel has put together. This will happen at the High School Indoor Track. This structured day will be on Tuesdays. However, the first available day will be on a Wednesday...January 19.
3. Along with the Tuesday structured day...you should do the running program one more day. However, this day is up to you. Each Tuesday you will get the workout for that week and you would do the same workout on your own time. This could even be done at home.
4. Coach Robinson and myself are offering ball workout sessions on Thursday's after school. Signup with Coach Robinson!

Click here to see all of this in scheduled form! (This will tell of day's off as well)

Hopefully when you look at the schedule and read the email it will make sense to you. Please let me know if you have any questions!

Coach Malefyt

Off-Season Training

Stay tuned, everyone, for an upcoming announcement regarding off-season skill work/conditioning sessions that we plan on offering around the second week of January.

Hope you're all having a great break!

Stay Tuned...

...for off-season training opportunities.

I'm looking forward to working with all of you girls in the near future!

PS. If you're interested (males and females), the winter holiday indoor soccer tourney is on again. See me for a sign-up sheet if/when you're ready!

Training during the week AFTER camp...

...July 26-30.

As many of you know, I will be in E. Lansing working the MSU soccer camp this coming week. Coach Stieper will be covering the Monday and Thursday evening training sessions for you guys. The other AM sessions on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday will be helmed by either Connor or R.J.

PS. Thanks again very much to all who helped out with the kids camp this past week. You guys are the faces of the soccer program in Hamilton, and we're proud to have you represent us in a positive way!

Training during CAMP week...

...is canceled. That means starting Monday, July 19, we will not have regularly scheduled summer training. Take note!

Dead Period...and other stuff

Hi, all. I hope the summer's going well!

I hear from Frannie as of late that a bunch of you might be making an appearance at training tonight (Thursday)?! Awesome...unfortunately, I, myself, won't be there! I just had my knee surgery (you remember when Kaitlyn injured me before practice, right?) yesterday and will be hobbling a bit in the near future. Anyway, all went well, and Coach Stieper will be covering today. I WILL, however, be at training tomorrow morning from 9-11...be there?

Regarding next week (week of July 4), we DO NOT HAVE TRAINING since that week is designated by us and the MHSAA as a "dead period" in which we are not allowed to officially meet. Please take note. Feel free, of course, to do whatever training on your own!

After today and tomorrow, the next time us coaches will officially see you would be Monday, July 12 from 5-7 PM...come on out...and keep getting better!

Take care, girls. Let me know if you need anything.

No training...

...today, Wednesday (June 23) due to severe weather.

Happy...

...summer, everyone! THANKS for the card and gifts from the banquet...much appreciated. I certainly had fun with you girls this season.

And remember, FEEL FREE to come out this summer to train. Scroll down for the weekly schedule.

Take care, girls! It's been real.

End-of-season JV get-together

If you can make it, we'll be getting together this sat., June 5 at the DeNeef's for 6 P.M. dinner, drinks, and fun.

Check your email accounts for the DeNeef's address, or perhaps you can ask Niki yourself.

As for what to bring, I'm thinking you girls can handle organizing who's bringing what, but here's what we need:

hot dogs (for roasting)/buns
salad/veggies
fruit
chips
graham crackers/marshmallows/chocolate (for smores)

Pop and other sweets will be provided....let's figure everything else out though!

Hope to see you there...maybe get a hold of Niki for questions.

Banquet update...

**Monday, June 7 in the middle school cafeteria...6 P.M....wear something nice...bring beverages for you and your family...dessert will be provided.