The way Soccer Should be: Athens Soccer Academy SOSL League Games Week 2

 Athens Soccer Academy  SOSL League Games Week 2

Athens Soccer Academy played their third week of league games at the Alexander Soccer Complex. Our second week was scheduled for last weekend, but it snowed.

ASA U10 Black Pearls continued their winning streak this week. This team is in preparation for the Marietta Soccer Classic, May 14 &15.

The Pearls had a birthday to celebrate, so as the Under 8 Jaguars were on the field for their game 2, Coach Tad got dragged away to participate in a special birthday celebration for a special player.

ASA Under 8 Jaguars

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 The Ceremonial Boston Creme awaits strategic activation--

The Birthday Song has been sung...

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 Under 12 Red Dragons have hit a growing curve. Each week makes this more team more solid.  Tremendous support from three U10 Black Pearls, helped this Saturday's games through the heat and made the entire second half of the day more fun.

Against a River Valley Soccer Club that "crushed" us in week 1 at Athens High School, we turned the tide of the game: better defending, stronger midfield possession, and services into the penalty area.

Amora

Team Names Meaning:

Under 10 Black Pearls: the nickname of the great Brazilian Pele', also the trans-formative power of sand to the Pearl is a metaphor for the player's transformation into a "Pearl" of a player.

Under 12 Red Dragons: Borrowing from the Black Belt Hierarchy from Martial Arts, the Color Red is one step away from the Black Belt, and the 12's are at the cusp of becoming Academy Graduates in the sense that spring Soccer for 13 year-olds typically means GASA, and Fall soccer typically means the Middle School Teams.

The tent proved genius on this day.  The green Bubble or the half-soccer-ball-sticking-out-of-the ground is the Game Day Hub For ASA teams.  This is where we congregate before, after, and in between matches.  This is where we can create some shade and a central place for teams to come together. Tad has plans to hire a Live Reggae Band for Athens Home games; not really but that would make the scene complete...Soccer Reggae Party--You are invited!!!

The tent symbolizes that we are an Academy, a club, and that the teams support one another.  When the Jaguars went off to play their Game 1, the Pearls had just returned.  The Black Pearls cheered and clapped as the Jaguars moved to their field...Wishing I had set the camera on record...

ASA--This club is about more than the soccer...

 ASA Red Dragons Game 1 w Coach Jeff

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Black Pearls: Blissful Training Week 10 of 11, Fall 2015

We are in a blissful place as a group; we have a very good system of friends who work together as mates who combine as a team, and today, 10/19/2015, Athens Soccer Academy Under 10 Black Pearls put that all on display in one of the most memorable training sessions of our season so far.

Athens Soccer Academy Black Pearls Under 10 Fall 2015

It was a simple plan to start with 2v2 small sided games, before combining to play a larger "scrimmage".  We organized onto 3 fields, and had very close results after two 5 minute halves.  Then at the water break, we voted to play as one big game--still on the small fields. This was a very close affair as Orange and Green traded goals.

Sully navigates through traffic

We rested again before moving to the larger field with the same sized goals we play our games with.  Again the game was close; Coach Tad played for Team Green, then Team Orange.  At the halftime break of this game we organized for a team photo, and that appears above--what occurred immediately after that appears as a timeline below--see Second Segment to this post.

A Boy and his Goal

Finally we played again before sounding out our cheer for the second time, and tossing the pinnies in the air.  Players will stay a few extra moments to pick up equipment, kick a few balls, or just chase a friend.

Alex cuts the ball back into space as Maggie closes him down

We know we have serious games left on our schedule, including an end-of-season tournament, and we want to be a loose in Mind, Body, and Spirit--hoping that and the training we have done all season long will permit us to play our best soccer.

Arbor looking for a forward target

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This next segment serves as a metaphor representing the challenges teams encounter throughout an eleven week season, including week by week, game by game, half by half, and moment by moment.

As you can well see and understand by following the photo display below, establishing and maintaining team discipline are two separate and valuable goals. Notice the slow deterioration in order as only a few moments pass after this perfect window of focused attention.  This moment alone took prodding, encouraging, maintaining, and correcting.

This is an important part of the season, for teams progress or decline as the season matures, and the overall morale of some teams at this late point in the season has shifted.  Witness our discipline and morale, and imagine what these moments sound like.  We are friends who have soccer in common and have grown in athletic, emotional, and social ways.  This is what it means to play the game of soccer.

Take 1--Attention and Focus

Take 2--Some minds straying away

Take 3--The personalities begin to Appear

Take 4--The personalities begin to Shine

Take 5--Everyone gets into the Act

 Alright! That's enough!  Don't let me catch you having fun!

Back to the order we know best.

This has been a great season with a great set of parents and players. I will miss the team, as in only a few short weeks our outdoor schedule in 2015 will conclude.

I want to keep the magic in each moment with them, before they really "mature", and some won't want to have fun at soccer anymore.  Hopefully I have a few seasons left with them before they earn their place in our competitive rosters.  Then when they are older I hope they return to me in the winter for indoor.

Those seasons are always fun!

Summer Soccer 2015 Athens Soccer Academy

Soccer Friends,

Here are the Athens, Ohio soccer offerings for Under 6 Soccer Stars--Under 8 White Dragons--Under 10 Black Pearls--Under 12 Red Dragons--and Under 15 Black Dragons

1 Under 6 Soccer Stars

In May starting tomorrow, May 4, 2015, ASA and Athens Community Center will once again offer Under 6 Parent/Child Soccer Class

Monday May 4, 11, 18, 25

Register at ACM

5:15-6:30PM
at Athens Community Center (Outside)

2  Under 6 Soccer Stars

In June

Under 6 Soccer Camp June 22-26

5:15-6:30PM

at Athens Community Center (Outside)

3 Under 8 White Dragons--Under 10 Black Pearls--Under 12 Red Dragons--and Under 15 Black Dragons

Summer Skills Training Days
6 Week Program: Choose your dates

Tentative Dates and Times

Email tad@athenssocceracademy.com

Once we have a group, we will see what works, email your interest and age group

June 2, 3, 4//9, 10, 11//30

July 1, 2// 14, 15, 16// 21, 22, 23// 28, 29, 30

Under 15 email tad@athenssocceracademy.com with your evening preferences

 Under 8 Tuesday

Under 10 Wednesday

Under 12 Thursday

5:15-6:30PM

Rec Center Grass/Tennis Courts

Players should bring Flat tennis type shoes and soccer cleats