2-0 Loss vs. T.K.

Let's finish the regular strong next week, ladies.

Beat Zeelands! :)

8-0 Win @ Black River

Solid all-around performance last night with a lot of love/scoring spread around the team!

On to a tough T.K. team....

1-0 Loss @ Holland Christian

Let's bounce back @ Black River, girls! Finish strong.

Upcoming Week

Ladies, I argue that this week is perhaps our toughest week of the season yet: three games, good competition, nearing the end of the season, handling distractions, somehow staying fresh, etc.

BUT I'm really confident that we WILL handle it all somehow successfully. We have been trending up in multiple areas...and will continue to do so if we all stay together and keep our collective eyes on the prize(s).

Here goes with the tentative schedule for the week:

**Monday: game at Holland Christian...bus leaves at 3 PM (meet on the bus fully dressed minus cleats as we PLAY FIRST AT 4 PM)...Grace = team meal (after the game)/video...wear "Hail" shirts in school.
**Tuesday: game at Black River...meet in my room at 2:45 PM...bus leaves at 3:15...Leah = team meal/video.
**Wednesday: 3-5 PM training...wear black.
**Thursday: 3:15-5:15 training...wear gray.
**Friday: home game vs. T.K....meet in my room at 3 PM...Justine = team meal/video...Taryn/Kora = ball girls.
**Saturday: 5 v. 5 outdoor tournament! More on this to come. 

Finish strong, ladies, and treat those mothers extra well today! :)

1-0 Win vs. Byron Center

Way to gut out an important in-conference victory last night, ladies. Defensively, we allowed little and offensively probably deserved more on the scoreboard. But a win is a win!

Let's keep rolling....:)

4-1 Win vs. Holland

Way to bounce back from a bit of adversity as Holland closed in on the scoreboard in the second half with two unanswered goals tonight to win tonight, ladies--a very mature way to handle the match.

On to Byron Center!

Upcoming Week

Greetings, all!

Excited for yet another week of productive, rewarding time together. And, man, time is flying. The end of the regular season is just around the corner! Finish strong....:)

Here goes with the tentative schedule for the week coming up here:

**Monday: home game vs. Holland...what to wear in school = up to captains...meet in my classroom at 3 PM...Maddie/Morgan = ball girls...Rylin = meal/vid.
**Tuesday: practice 3:15-5:15 PM...wear black. TEAM DINNER AT SYDNEY'S (5:30 PM).
**Wednesday: home game vs. Byron Center...meet in my classroom at 3 PM...Bailee/Harley = ball girls...Laura = meal/vid.
**Thursday: practice 3:15-5:15 PM...wear gray.
**Friday: practice 3-4:30 (WITH 7TH/8TH GRADE TEAMS!)...wear black.

Looking very much forward to an all-around successful week, all. Go Hawkeyes!

2-1 Win @ Hopkins

After a slow start, I loved the way we responded in the second half of this contest, girls...especially after a tough break late in the game when Hopkins tied it up. Way to bounce back!

On to the next one...:)

Gray tomorrow for 3:15 training....

3-1 Loss @ Unity

We certainly gave Unity a scare last night, girls. Really liked how we stayed feisty and battling until the end. Nice job in that department against a tough team.

Let's get Hopkins!

2-0 Win @ Zeeland East

As mentioned at halftime and the post-game huddle, tonight was an all-around crisp, sharp game, ladies. Kudos to you all for taking care of business!!

On to training tomorrow to get better...and then on to Unity (not "prom")....:)

Upcoming Week

Welcome to May coming up here, everyone! Man, time is flying...

Here's the tentative schedule for this upcoming travel/game-heavy week as we continue our journey together:

**Monday: game at Z. East...meet in my room at 3:45 PM...Harley = food/vid...bus leaves at 4:15 PM.
**Tuesday: practice 3:15-5:15 PM...wear black.
**Wednesday: game at Unity...meet in my room at 3:30 PM...Bailee = food/vid...bus leaves at 4 PM.
**Thursday: game at Hopkins (VARSITY = FIRST GAME AT 4:30 PM...REQUIRED TO STILL RIDE BUS HOME/SUPPORT JV)...meet in my room at 2:45 PM for a light team meal...Bria = food/vid....bus leaves at 3:30.
**Friday: practice 315-515 PM...wear gray.

Likin' the strides we are making at multiple levels as a team/program, ladies! Let's keep rolling. :)

5-0 Win @ Fennville

Another step forward today, ladies. Well done.

Continued progress is imperative as we hit the road for three more games this coming week.

Stay together and keep improving!

2-1 Loss vs. Zeeland West

Keep plugging away, ladies, and staying together. We'll break through! We coaches can feel it, and we hope the same for all of you. :)

See you at practice today in gray!

1-1 Tie vs. Hudsonville

Another step in the right direction, ladies. Trust it!

On to Zeeland West! :)

Upcoming Week

Hope the weekend is great one, girls soccer fam!

Check out the tentative schedule for this upcoming busy week below:

**Monday: home game vs. Hudsonville...wear Hamilton soccer-related gear to school...meet in my room at 3 PM...Ashley = meal/vid...Rylin/Laura = ball girls.
**Tuesday: 3:15-5:15 training...wear black.
**Wednesday: home game vs. Zeeland West...meet in my room at 3 PM...Sydney = meal/vid... Bria/Ashley = ball girls.
**Thursday: 3:15-5:15 training...wear gray.
**Friday: game at Fennville...meet in my room at 3 PM...bus leaves at 3:45 PM...Shania = team meal/vid.

We got better this past week and will continue to do so! Trust it. :)

2-1 Loss vs. Holland Christian

Girls, we made another step (or two) in the right direction today despite the final score. Please trust that! We coaches were so very proud of the level of play from you players in a contest vs. a traditionally tough, talented opponent.

We are getting there!! See you tomorrow for 3:15 training in black.

2-1 OT Loss @ Byron Center

I thought we took a couple steps in the right direction last night, ladies, despite the scoreboard!

Keep TOGETHER, keep the faith, and keep getting better!

The Week Ahead!

Well, ladies, time to finally get back to a bit of normalcy now that last week's crazy schedule is behind us, we've gotten some training under our belt after Spring Break, and we're firmly in the OK Green conference portion of our season schedule!

Here goes with the tentative schedule for the week:

**Monday: game @ Byron Center...meet in my classroom by 3:15 PM...bus leaves at 4...Kora = food/video. What to wear to school = TBD.
**Tuesday: 3:15-5:15 training...wear gray...TEAM DINNER AT COACH TANJA'S @ 5:30!
**Wednesday: home game vs. H. Christian...meet in my classroom by 3 PM...Maddie = food/video...Leah/Justine = ball girls. What to wear in school = TBD.
**Thursday: 3:15-5:15 training...wear black.
**Friday: 3:15-5:15 training...wear gray.

Let's always keep in mind what is posted in my classroom and on this site below and to the left (season, team, teammate) as we continue this season-long journey!

3-2 Win @ Holland

Any win is a good win, right?! Way to hang in there, battle back from the adversity of an opponent tying a game, and eventually pull it out in the end.

On to Byron Center! :)

3-0 Loss to Unity

The season is young, and we WILL get better! Let's fix some key aspects on our team though, ladies...starting tomorrow with training.

See you soon on the practice field, and wear gray!

Welcome Back!

Hope everyone is having/had a great, safe, fun, and yet productive Break???

As for soccer....here we go again!

See below for the tentative schedule for this upcoming week:

First, good luck to all participating in an important "testing" week in school! "Student" before "athlete", right?? Go get 'em!

**Monday: 3:15-5:15 training...meet on game field...wear gray.
**Tuesday: home game vs. Unity...meet in my classroom by 3 PM...Jos = team meal/ JV game vid...Grace/Shelby= JV game ball girls...what to wear = TBD.
**Wednesday: 3:15-5:15 training...wear gray.
**Thursday: game @ Holland...bus leaves at 4:15...meet in my room at 3:30...what to wear = TBD...Taryn = team meal/vid.
**Friday: 3:15-5:15 training...wear gray.

Team, please continue to keep in mind all of your collective positive thoughts to the left regarding a "successful season", an "ideal team", and a "perfect teammate". 

Let's hit the ground running as we swing back into action!

See you all soon! Looking forward!

4-1 Win @ Hastings

All things considering, ladies, job well done today at Hastings!

The season is young, and we have a lot of improvements to make. But, as a coach, i'm certainly very excited about this team and where we can go.

Have a great, safe, fun, productive (conditioning, ball touches, etc.) Spring Break!

Sights set on Unity....:)

Good Start!

After a pair of GVSU preseason scrimmage wins yesterday -- 4-1 over Greenville and 9-0 over Kenowa Hills-- it's easy to be encouraged! As mentioned, the season is young though, and it's on all of us to continually work to get better in all facets.

Looking forward to doing just that!

See you all for training tomorrow. Let's start promptly at 3 PM due to a shortened practice with team pictures at the tail end. Wear black for training and all black for team pictures.

Hastings (and growing) on the mind! :)

WELCOME!

Greetings, Hamilton JV/Varsity girls soccer family!

We coaches are super excited for the season and first want to make sure we are all set with "business" matters from the outset!

Looking forward to a great start!

Tentative Schedule for the next 1.5 Weeks

**Monday, March 20: outdoor training 3:15-5:15 PM (wear black team shirts)

**Tuesday, March 21: JV volunteer work 2:45-5 PM/Varsity training 3-5 PM (wear gray)

**Wednesday, March 22: Varsity volunteer work 2:45-5 PM/JV 3:15-5:15 PM training (wear black)...Parent Meeting at 6:30 beginning in the HS cafe and ending in my classroom for Varsity parents. JV parents will end in the HS Forum Room with Coach Hoffman.

**Thursday, March 23: outdoor training 3:15-5:15 PM (wear gray)

**Friday, March 24: outdoor training 3:15 - 5:15 PM (wear black)

**Saturday, March 25: JV/Varsity GVSU preseason exhibition tournament (more details to come!)

**Monday, March 27: outdoor training 3:15-5:15 PM (wear black)

**Tuesday, March 28: outdoor training 3:15 - 5:15 PM (wear gray)...Varsity team dinner at the Robinsons' 5:30-6:30 PM.

**Wednesday, March 29: game at Hastings (wear black)...details to come!

**Thursday/Friday, March 30/31: NO PRACTICE

**Spring Break: NO REQUIRED ACTIVITY BUT OPTIONS TO BE DETERMINED!

**Note: For all away games, JV and Varsity players are required to ride the team bus to and from the venue. For home games, JV players are required to view at least one half of the varsity contest. Thanks for understanding the need to support each other and continue to build relationships!  

**Note: Team pictures will take place sometime this coming week, I believe??? Stay tuned...

Another Change!

Just found out that the T.K. game is now May 19th and not May 12th! Roll with the punches, yes? :)

Season Schedule Changes

Please take note:

**The pre-Spring Break game vs. T.K. is now changed to Friday, May 12.

**The JV team will now participate with the Varsity team (on the same day in their own separate scrimmages) in the Saturday, March 25 tournament at G.V.S.U. More details to come!

5 v. 5 Hamilton Holiday Co-ed Indoor Soccer Tourney 2016!

If any current male or female Hamilton student is interested in Hamilton soccer program's annual 5 v. 5 Co-ed Indoor Soccer Tourney, please see either Mr. Robinson or Mrs. Robinson asap for registration forms. You can also visit the main office for copies. Registration is due no later than Wednesday, Dec. 7. Non-soccer players are welcome and encouraged as well!

3-1 Loss to Gull Lake...and More!

Ladies,

Please keep heads up tonight and for the future! Proud of you for going toe-to-toe with the defending champs. And overall, we have much to be proud of (and much to improve on!) regarding the body of work this season!

At this point, please plan on the following in the near future:

**This Thursday, June 2: team meeting in my room at 3 PM (until roughly 3:45/4) to turn in uniform items, chat, reflect, etc.

**Next Monday, June 6: program-wide Dessert Banquet at 6:30 PM in the HS Forum Room. Dress up, bring a dessert to pass, bring your own beverages/utensils, celebrate the season, etc.!

THANKS FOR A GREAT SEASON, GIRLS SOCCER FAM! THE FUTURE IS BRIGHTER THAN EVER! :)

This Week: A CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK!

Hello, everyone! Hope the holiday weekend is treating you all well???

This a special, history-making week coming up here for Hamilton Girls Soccer:

**Monday (Memorial Day): 4-530 PM practice on the game field...wear gray...vote on alternate team captain... POTLUCK DINNER TO FOLLOW IN THE HS CAFE. Done by 6 pm-ish.
**Tuesday: home game vs. Gull Lake (5 PM). Meet in my classroom by 2:45 PM. What to wear in school = TBD. What to eat for team meal = TBD. WIN!
**Wednesday: practice 3-5 PM...wear black.
**Thursday: 3 PM game vs. Wayland/Hastings winner (at Mattawan). Details TBD. WIN!
**Friday: practice 3-5 PM...wear gray.
**Saturday: 2 PM District Championship game @ Mattawan. WIN!
**Monday, June 6: Dessert Banquet @ 6:30 PM (HS Forum Room) 

Note: I sincerely hope Friday's practice was somehow fruitful for all...all things considering. Always remember: WE CAN DO THIS...TOGETHER!

See you all soon!

4-1 Win vs. Comstock Park

As was mentioned after the game today, ladies, no matter the final score, I was simply impressed by our overall ball movement, possession, mature/safe defending, and overall play! It was an overall impressive performance by our team and a positive dose of confidence to end the regular season.

And now...

...the stakes are higher, the opponent is greater...blah blah blah...and we handle it all!

Time for Districts, Gull Lake, Wayland/Hastings winner, etc., etc. LET'S DO THIS!

See you tomorrow for 3-4 PM practice...wear gray. AND HAPPY GRADUATION DAY, SENIORS! :)

Upcoming Week...and a Bit Beyond!

Hello, all! What a beautiful weekend already! Hope all is well with all of you.

Thanks for making the end of this past week a positive one, girls. Please remember the helpful, insightful words of wisdom mentioned by many of you during our impromptu outdoor team meeting this past Thursday. Friendly reminder of the theme of that convo: HOW DO WE KEEP OUR RESOLVE, STAY MOTIVATED, AND KEEP THIS THING GOING IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION! :)

Important times are upon us...for many reasons. What can you specifically and we as a team do to FINISH STRONG?!

Here's the tentative schedule for this upcoming week and a bit beyond...our last regular season week of the season:

**Monday: practice 3-5 PM...wear gray...vote on alternative team captain for the week (any "theme" will do).
**Tuesday: practice 3-5 PM...wear black.
**Wednesday: home game vs. Comstock Park at 5 PM (no JV game)...PARENT NIGHT (ALL PARENTS)...announcements/introductions occur at halftime of the game...what to wear in school = TBD...meet in my room by 245 PM...FOOD/BEVERAGES = BRING YOUR OWN UNLESS SOMEONE WANTS TO STEP UP TO PROVIDE (IN THAT CASE, LET ME KNOW ASAP!)! WIN!
**Thursday: practice 3-4 PM...wear gray.
**Friday: practice 3-5 PM...wear black.
**Weekend: Team Sleepover??? 
**Monday (MEMORIAL DAY): 4-530 PM practice...wear gray...Team Pot-luck Dinner in the HS cafe at 530 PM.
**Tuesday: home District game vs. Gull Lake at 5 PM. More details to come! WIN!

Once again, LET'S FINISH STRONG, LADIES! MUCH LEFT TO WORK FOR...INCLUDING 4 OF 5 TEAM GOALS: ACADEMICS, HALFTIME LEADS, WIN A DISTRICT GAME...AND STAY TOGETHER!!!

Take care, and see you all on Monday ready to work and get better in practice.

1-0 Double OT Loss at H.C.

Keep those collective heads up, girls! Tough one last night, but again, it was mostly an effort to be proud of vs. a tough team on a challenging field. Let's take some positives out of it, and learn from the rest!

Now, we move on, welcome with open arms Maddie, Morgan, and Shania to the team, get better at practice (practice field today...wear gray), and keep smilin'!

Two guaranteed games left in the season....FINISH STRONG! 

3-1 Win vs. Byron Center...and Updates

First, the updates, all:

**Next Wednesday's Parent Night home game is TENTATIVELY now set for a 5 PM start...with halftime now reserved for the introductions of respective families (approx. 5:40 PM).  Hope that will allow for as many parents as possible to be a part of the special day! Please be near the scoreboard with roughly 5 mins. left in the first half!

**We will have a (near) end-of-season program-wide Dessert Banquet on Monday, June 6 at 6:30 P.M. in the high school Forum Room. Girls, please "dress up", bring a dessert to pass for the whole group as well as personal beverages and utensils. Now, I say "near end-of-season" since I fully plan on us still playing a REGIONAL GAME on that following Tuesday! :)  Just have to get the Banquet in before the end of the school year is all. :)

Ok, the rest...

Nice job last night overall, girls! Especially after an extra challenging past week. Loved how you responded immediately after going down a goal early on and then holding a halftime lead (team goal), taking care of business, and getting back in the win column...and on a Monday!  wink wink....

Now, as mentioned today in practice, we have a TREMENDOUS opportunity tomorrow in our last conference game at Holland Christian:  a.) become the first Hamilton team (male/female) EVER to win a game on H.C.'s home turf and b.) probably jump Z. West in the final conference standings to finish alone in 3rd place in the league. WE CAN DO THIS!!!  Believe it, first and foremost.

FINISH STRONG!

Current Challenging Week...and a BETTER Week Ahead!

Stating the obvious, ladies, the week hasn't gone quite as planned, but such is life! Handling "challenges" and subsequently growing in positive directions as a result is KEY! And that's just what we need to do (and WILL do) starting at practice today, heading into the weekend, and facing another set of conference opponents next week.

We can do this!

Speaking of next week:

**Sunday: optional/informal team training!
**Monday: home game vs. B. Center...what to wear in school = TBD...meet in my room by 2:45 PM...Katyln = food/vid...Kirby/Jos = ball girls. WIN!
**Tuesday: 3-5 PM practice...wear black. TEAM DINNER AT KORA'S AT 5:30 PM.
**Wednesday: game at H.C. (both teams = 4 PM...our game is on their normal turf field!)...bus leaves at 245 PM...what to wear in school = TBD...Syd = food (lighter meal on the bus, please!)...WIN FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER ON THEIR FIELD!
**Thursday: 3-5 PM practice... wear gray.
**Friday: 3-4:30 PM practice WITH 7TH/8TH GRADE/JV TEAMS...WEAR OFFICIAL BLACK ADIDAS TEAM SHIRTS!

Prepare for success next week, ladies. Positive thoughts, positive words, and positive actions!

5-4 Loss at Holland

A challenging week continues, ladies! But luckily for us, we LOVE challenges, right?!

Keep those collective heads up, and please continue to realize that your life will go the way your thoughts and words go! Focus always on the positives...on improvements...on encouragement.

And BEAT WAYLAND! :)

2-0 Loss at Unity

Tough one last night, ladies. As mentioned after the game, from my standpoint, it seemed as though we played a bit scared as a team--quiet, lack of aggression at times, bunker mentality. That's no way to win a game...especially against a good team like Unity. Now mind you, Unity was good last night. Don't get me wrong. BUT we had something to do with that in my opinion. In other words, we made them look better than we should have. Live in learn!

It's a new day, and we get better today! Revenge/Rematch game at Holland tomorrow!

See you outside in the rain. :)

Upcoming Week

Hey hey, soccer fam!

Huge week coming up here with a handful of away matches and a gigantic rematch with Unity on Monday! Prepare, prepare, prepare! :)

Here is the week's tentative schedule:

**Monday: game at Unity (530 PM Varsity start)...what to wear in school = TBD...Taryn = vid/food...bus leaves at 245 PM...will eat on the bus...no need to be changed before then. WIN!
**Tuesday: practice 3-5 PM...wear gray
**Wednesday: game at Holland...what to wear in school = TBD...Kora = food/vid...bus leaves at 4 PM...meet in my room by 3 PM...1/2 day in school. WIN!
**Thursday: game at Wayland...what to wear in school = TBD...Nena = food/vid...bus leaves at 3:30 PM...meet in my room by 245 PM. WIN!
**Friday: practice 3-5 PM...wear black.

Note: Congrats to Ana Lopez for being selected by her peers recently as "alternate captain" for this upcoming week due to her "mental toughness"! On a side note, hudl footage/notes can/will certainly help you prepare for success this coming Monday and beyond!

Our team goals are in reach, ladies! Keep pushin' and finish strong!

And on Monday, you'll become the first Hamilton soccer team ever to beat Unity on their home field. Win the battle in your mind first and get it done! :)

NEW TEAM GOAL!

The girls decided on a new, worthy team goal today as a group:

WE WILL EARN A TEAM ACADEMIC ALL-STATE (3.3 TEAM GPA OR HIGHER) AT THE CONCLUSION OF THIS SEASON!

Awesome idea as "student" always comes before "athlete". :)

2-1 Win vs. Zeeland West

Proud of you for fighting through many daunting factors last night in our huge game vs. Zeeland West, girls!

And to reverse our fortunes regarding Monday's H.C. game and ourselves punch one in the net with little time remaining was extra fitting and special.

Now it's time to recover, reflect, get better, and keep this thing going!

See you in my classroom with indoor gear, writing utensils, and reflective thoughts no later than 3 PM today!

Note: PLEASE BE REMINDED THAT OUR GAME AT UNITY THIS COMING MONDAY BEGINS AT 5:30 PM (JV = 4). BUS WILL LEAVE IMMEDIATELY AFTER SCHOOL, AND WE CAN HOPEFULLY DINE ON PRE-PACKAGED TEAM MEALS ON THE BUS RIDE!

1-0 Loss vs. H.C.

Hang in there, ladies!

Ya know what tonight meant??? We lost a soccer game...that's it. Nothing more, nothing less. We take it in stride, stay positive, and realize that there is a TON left to play for...including 1st place in the league!

Round two of OK Green conference matches begins Wednesday as we welcome Z. West to our place for a revenge game. Let's go!!

See ya tomorrow for practice (wear black) and another valuable opportunity to GET BETTER!

4-1 Win vs. Black River...and more!

Weekend greetings, all!

Was great to get the weekend started right with a business-like win vs. Black River last night, especially heading into a huge conference week for us coming up here! Nice overall job, girls.

So here goes with the tentative weekly schedule for said "huge" week:

**Monday: home game vs. Holland Christian...wear warmups in school...be in my room (BEFORE DRESSING) by 245 PM. Summer = food/vid...Noelle/Melinda = ball girls. WIN!
**Tuesday: practice 3-5...wear black
**Wednesday: home game vs. Z. West...what to wear in school = TBD...be in my room by 245 PM...Ana = food/vid...Dani/Frannie = ball girls...WIN!
**Thursday: practice 3-5...wear gray
**Friday: dressed and ready for practice by 3 PM in my room for a team meeting...will head out to practice field by 4 PM to help with Formidable Feet...WEAR OFFICIAL BLACK ADIDAS TEAM SHIRTS.

Notes: Congrats to Kirby for being chosen by her peers as an "alternate captain" for this upcoming week due to her physical toughness! Please be aware of your newest set of "soccer responsibilities" for this next week's activities on and off the field. And please note that we do NOT play at Wayland this coming Thursday but NEXT Thursday, May 12 instead!

Take care, all, and let's keep DREAMIN' and BELIEVIN'!

3-1 Win at Byron Center

Nice job last night, ladies, of keeping the confidence high, battling through it, and prevailing, especially after a somewhat frustrating halftime tie! Was proud to see you handle things maturely and take care of business in the end against a conference opponent that we should beat.

Can't wait to see us work hard in practice today, stay focused, get better, and prepare to BEAT BLACK RIVER tomorrow at our place! Let's keep climbin' that ladder.

Take care! :)

1-1 OT Tie vs. Holland

Ladies! Hope you are keeping your collective heads up today?? Hang in there and keep that confidence.

Let's also be honest with ourselves again though and acknowledge a partial opportunity lost last night against a team that we should beat. Right? In a way, I was glad to see the frustration on all of your faces after the game, because that means that you WANT to win every game and that you EXPECT to win every game as well. We need to continue to COMPETE AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL DAY IN AND DAY OUT! Today's a new day, so put those smiles back on your faces. :)

Let's get better at practice today and be ready to battle (and BEAT) Byron Center at their place tomorrow!

6-1 Win @ Hopkins...and More!

Ladies!

Way to take care of business and handle success at Hopkins last night. It was impressive as a coach to observe! Bottle that up, prepare this weekend individually, and come out swinging once again this Monday as we dive back into the conference season!

Here goes with the tentative schedule for this coming week:

**Monday: home game vs. Holland...meet in my room by 3 PM..."dress up" in school...Yaz = food/vid...Taryn/Kora = ball girls...WIN!
**Tuesday: 3-5 PM practice...wear black.
**Wednesday: game @ B.Center...what to wear in school = TBD...meet in my room by 3 PM...bus leaves at 330 PM...Nicky = food/vid...WIN!
**Thursday: 3-5 PM practice...wear gray.
**Friday: home game vs. Black River...what to wear in school = TBD...meet in my room by 3 PM...Bria = food/vid...Katlyn/Syd = ball girls...WIN!

Note: Congrats to Bria for having been voted by her peers as the alternate captain for this next week's matches and training. And congrats again to all of you for not only currently passing your trimester 3 classes but doing so with impressive overall grades! Keep up the good work in the classroom--your most important role as "student-athletes"!

DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN INDIVIDUALLY TO PREPARE THIS WEEKEND FOR SUCCESS THIS COMING WEEK. WE NEED TO COME OUT FIRING FIRST THING VS. HOLLAND ON MONDAY!

Looking forward to seeing you girls continue to blossom. :)

History-making 1-0 Win vs. Unity

Job well done last night, ladies, BELIEVING we could have success and then going out and actually doing it...with ENERGY! :)  Very proud of you all...no matter the role you played. We ALL helped the winning cause, somehow some way.

Now the ultra challenge is this: HANDLING SUCCESS AND AVOIDING ANY TYPE OF COMPLACENCY. Know you all have it in you.

The next test: Hopkins tomorrow (Friday)!

Looking forward to seeing you all take another positive step on this journey.

1-0 Loss to Z.West

GREAT finish to the game the other night, ladies, but from here on out WE ARE A FULL-GAME/80 MINUTE (OR MORE) TEAM! Let's make it happen.

Believe, stay together, and perform today vs. Unity!

2-1 Win @ Kenowa Hills...and More!

Greetings!

Great job on the first win of the season this past Thursday as it was a well-deserved "W". Feel free to check out the "game recaps" link below and to the left in order to view game specifics.

BUT THE K. HILLS WIN IS JUST THE BEGINNING, RIGHT???!!!

Here's how we're moving forward with a huge week coming up here:

**Monday: game @ Z.West..."dress up" in school...all black/Hail shirts for game...meet in my classroom at 3:15 PM...bus leaves at 4 PM...Frannie = vid/food...Noelle/Melinda = see me for key to shed.
**Tuesday: practice 3-5 PM...wear black...Team Dinner at Katlyn's @ 530 PM (bring personal beverage).
**Wednesday: home game vs. Unity...what to wear in school = TBD...Kirsten = vid/food...Nena/Ana = ball girls...pre-game music?
**Thursday: practice 3-5 PM...wear gray.
**Friday: game @ Hopkins...VARSITY PLAYS FIRST AT 4:30 PM...what to wear in school = TBD...bus leaves at 3:15 PM...meet in my room immediately after school (will eat/drink then and there)...Jos = food/vid...Noelle/Melinda = see me for key to shed.

Notes: please note that the May 9 game at Unity will now be played (Varsity) at 5:30 PM...congrats to Yaz for being selected as "alternate team captain" by her peers for this upcoming week...PLEASE BE SURE TO DO ALL THAT YOU CAN THIS WEEKEND TO PREPARE FOR THIS COMING WEEK--HUDL, 4-3-3 TUTORIAL VID., VISUALIZE, POWER POSES, SLEEP, EAT RIGHT, BE ACTIVE, ETC.!

Let's keep this thing rolling forward in a positive direction, ladies!

1-0 Loss to Hudsonville

Keep the faith, girls!

Last night overall (but especially the second half) was a positive step in the right direction for our season...despite the scoreboard at the end.

Please keep in mind that the life cycle of a season is a PROCESS, and we are still in the BEGINNING stages of that process. That said, the sooner we can truly start "performing", the better.

We'll get better--provided that we ALL keep doing the daily things necessary to propel us forward!

5-1 Opening Game T.K. Loss...and More!

Ladies!

Hope you're hanging in there?? Keep those heads up!

Please remember the overall sentiments last night: the season is a PROCESS...and last night's game wasn't going to be the "end all, be all" either way...win, tie, or lose. WE WILL GET BETTER. WE WILL KEEP FIGHTING. WE WILL STAY TOGETHER!

(Check out the "game recaps" link below and to the left for post-game reviews if you so please)

Ok, so here's where we tentatively go from here:

**SPRING BREAK: ENJOY, HAVE FUN, BE SAFE, PLAY SOCCER, STAY IN/GET IN PHYSICAL SHAPE (SPRINTS, LONG DISTANCE, ANAEROBIC, ETC.)!

**Thursday/Friday (Spring Break Week): optional practice from 2:30-4 at the HS. Wear whatever but be fully dressed for game-like action!

**Monday, April 11: practice 3-5 PM...wear gray...vote on alternate team captain.
**Tuesday: JUNIORS ACE THE S.A.T.!... away game vs. Hudsonville...bus leaves at 4:15...meet in my classroom by 330 PM...Melinda = food/vid...what to wear in school = TBD
**Wednesday: practice 3-5 PM...wear black
**Thursday: away game vs. Kenowa Hills...bus leaves at 3:30...meet in my classroom by 3 PM...Dani= food/vid...what to wear in school = TBD....Quinn's bday! :)
**Friday: practice 3-5 PM...wear gray

Note: please always keep in mind that we need to continually train our minds and bodies in the POSITIVE: visualizing, power posing, mastering non-verbal communication, supporting each other, offering constructive feedback, etc. 

Very much looking forward to seeing you all again, working with you, and continuing our improvement upon this special season! Take care!

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!