The Wolverines had their first practice for the spring last pm. Ask your player about the House of Pain. I’m having a hard time walking today because of the House!!!!
Just some general updates.
1. We will have a possibility of 4 friendly scrimmages before the season starts. I will let you know when those dates are determined. This will help our team considerably to prepare for a tough divisional battle.
2. We will be in Division I for our age group. Box Elder, Pirranhas, Crush, Thunderfoodt, Wolverines, and Skritkers, will all be in our division. I will attend an alignment meeting next Tuesday to finalize teams in our division and determine the night we will play on. We have our work cut out for our team to compete.
3. I registered our team for the Summer Games : http://www.utahsummergames.org/, which will from June 9-12. Remember to make reservations at our sponsored hotel. A link can be found at the team page. We will play in the U11 division. I am sure we will be in the top division again.
4. We will also do the Cache Cup again this year on July 14-17. We will be U12 at that time and have 11 on the field.
5. We will probably play in the Park City Extreme Cup on August 2, or the Strkers Fest in Layton on August 18-21. I am happy for input into this one.
The snow is melting (I promise). Maybe only 1 millmeter per day, but it is melting. We will be outside sooooonnnn.
Go Wolverines
Jon

I recently registered the team. We will begin again in Feb/March depending on circumstances.
In the middle of winter it is hard to find ways to train individually. I have included an article that provides multiple suggestions on how to improve yourself during these winter months.
As an incentive to practice hard during the off season and season, there will be "clubs" or award levels established. A juggling club will be established at the 20-30-40-50 levels. Gift certificates will be given at each level. Who can step up and be the first to become a member of the club?
Please read the article below for suggestions on how to improve your soccer game.
THE OFFSEASON: Recommended Backyard Games
By Mike Singleton

The offseason is near, so here are ways players can work on their skills on their own. …

1. Juggling
a) Juggle the ball with all parts of your body (left and right sides). Try not to have more than five consecutive juggles with the same body part (i.e., feet, head, etc.).
b) Juggle with a friend or friends in a similar fashion to the basketball game “HORSE” — the player who drops the ball gets a letter.
c) Play one-touch or two-touch juggling with your friends, earning letters for drops.

How to Juggle video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_FI8nIn9YE

2. One-vs-One
a) Only use one foot — the ball cannot touch your other foot.
b) Have a goal (or a cone) which you can score upon from all sides.
c) Same as b, but have the same goal for both players.
d) Have two goals for each player, one on an end line and one on a sideline.
e) Have three goals for each player, one on an end line and one on each sideline.

3. Wall Soccer
Just kick a ball against a wall using both your left foot and right foot. Place hard shots against the wall (with accuracy and force). Try doing this three-touch, then two-touch, then one-touch. This game helps with trapping/receiving, positioning, striking of a ball with both feet, foot speed, being on toes, and concentration.

It also will improve your passing/shooting accuracy because of the high number of touches you will have on the ball and the high number of balls you play against the wall.

Vary your shots – high, low, left, right, inside foot, outside foot, instep, etc., and make yourself work at a high pace to get your body behind the ball before it rolls past you. Get closer to the wall to improve foot quickness and move further away to increase lateral quickness.

Video on using the wall: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5Dl_vi6pbs

4. Own the Ball!
Just you competing for possession of one ball (through shielding) with one other person. If you lose possession, do whatever you have to do get the ball back as quickly as possible. Correct shielding technique — body sideways, arm providing protection, ball on outside foot, knees bent, turning as defender attacks, using feel to understand where defender is going.

5. 2v2 or 2v1 Games
Any 2v2 and 2v1 drills or games will be extremely useful. The entire game can be broken down into 2v2 or 2v1 situations. The more skilled you are at these, the more success you will have in the larger game. Playing combination passes is key!

6. Paired Tag
Pair players up, giving each pair two balls. One player starts and is given a two-second lead to break away from his/her partner. The chaser (”it”) dribbles after the first player and tries to tag him/her with his/her hand. If tagged, the roles reverse and the player who was previously “it” has two seconds to break away before their partner tries to tag them. Players must always dribble their soccer ball during this activity.

7. Marbles
Players are in pairs, each with a ball. One player plays out his ball and the partner passes his own ball in an attempt to strike the ball his partner played out. Players should keep track of how many times they hit their partner’s ball. This game should be fast-paced, because players take turns at trying to hit each other’s ball without ever stopping.

If Players 2 misses Player 1’s ball, then Player 1 immediately runs to her own ball and tries to hit Player 2’s ball (Player 2 does not get to touch his ball after missing Player 1’s ball). After Player 1 has a chance, then Player 2 immediately tries to hit player 1’s ball right back. etc.

This game is continuous and players should keep score.

(Hint: If two balls are lose to each other, a player should kick his/her ball hard at the other ball so that when they hit it, it is more difficult for the other to hit their ball back).

A video demonstrating soccer Marbles: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iw6L9fpsD9Q

8. Soccer Tennis
With a partner, set up two 10×10 grids that are separated by a net (or a line, couple of bags, string tied to bags – something serving as a net). Just as in tennis, players play the ball (though with their feet) into the other’s grid and the ball must bounce once in that grid. If the receiving player(s) allows the ball to drop twice, the server earns a point. Receiving players can play volleys. Limit your touch count to two- or three-touch.

Soccer Tennis Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95XNvZ9pyt8

9. SLAM
Get a partner or partners and play against a wall (or turn over a bench). Use one-touch to kick the ball against the wall.

Turns alternate between partners. Players earn a letter if the ball goes over the bench or goes wide of the bench/wall until they spell “SLAM.” Once they spell “SLAM” they are out of the game.

A video demonstrating SLAM: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHjvdMLH2ZE

(Mike Singleton is the Massachusetts Youth Soccer Association’s Head State Coach and Director of Coaching. He is a Region I ODP Senior Staff Coach and a U.S. Soccer and US Youth Soccer National Staff Coach. This article first appeared in Mass Youth e-News.)

Other articles focused on improving skills outside of practice include:

Getting Kids To Play On Their Own

Practicing Solo: The 720 Challenge

Improving skills on your own: wall play

Getting players to juggle

Thank you to everyone who diligently participated in the Wolverine fund raiser. It was a huge success.
Please check the Wolverine Budget page for details.
Today Wendy Obray and I met with the Fire House Pizzeria owner (Greg) and settled our agreement on the cards. We paid him his portion. See the budget page.
I still have about $360.00 to deposit. If you have not turned in money, please do so immediately so we can close the door on this project.
The fund raiser, as it stands with Friday’s probable deposit, will take us to $3016. I will finalize the budget sheet after Friday.
Wow, Wow, Wow !!!!!!!!!
Can you believe it. Congratulations Wolverines. This money will take us down the road a long way.
Thank you especially to Wendy Obray for all the hard work she put into this project. When you see her, give her a Wolverine pat on the back. Be gentle.
Thanks for your efforts.
Go Wolverines
Jon

It is time to celebrate our earnings. Next Saturday, December 5th, at the Mendon Church (476 S 100 East, Mendon) we will celebrate our fundraiser.
Meeting time is 5:00pm. Please bring your envelopes and extra cards (I know, you have no extra cards).
We will tally our sales and eat pizza(donations accepted to help pay for the food) . The players can shoot hoops.
There will also be a short parent meeting discussing handling of the money, purpose of raising the money, and accountability of funds.
We will also discuss upcoming events.
If you would like to sell additional cards this week, please contact Wendy Obray for more cards. Continue to work hard this week to accomplish our goal of 20 cards per player.
Go Wolverines
Jon

Hey Everyone — I have some great news!!! I have negotiated with the gentleman from Firehouse pizza to give us a better deal on the punch cards. If we sell 260 punch cards or more we will receive $10 per card sold (you may remember that originally I presented it as we would earn $7.50 per card sold). Coach Kelly has asked the every boy sell 20 cards. By doing so we should sell approximately 280 cards which would surpass the 260. We realize that this is going to take some hard work and with hard work it is nice to have a reward. And a reward there will be — On December 5th at the Mendon Stake Center Gym from 5pm-7pm, we will celebrate with a pizza and ice-cream party, so please mark that date on your calendars. I or Coach Kelly will be getting with each of you later this week to hand out the punch cards and envelopes. Please be sure to bring everything back when you come to the PARTY. There will be some instructions with your packet as well. Please don’t hesitate to call me if you have questions. Please encourage your boys to work hard to help our entire team make our goal. This is a team effort as is everything soccer is. I appreciate you willingness and dedication to the Wolverine team.
Go Wolverines:)

Wendy Obray
232-1645