Hello All - I trust all is well as we carry on from one day to the next alternating umbrella's for sunscreen and bug screen. I am a day late this week with my Blog entry as I try to create some anticipation and wonder with my one follower whom I am sure spent most of Tuesday hitting refresh, wondering and waiting for the latest post. Truth be told I was waiting for the result of the England match this morning as I secretly hoped for much to write about regarding doom, gloom and a failing football nation BUT they won so I will have to hold off on such topics!
A few updates - Tino Fusco filled in admirably for Shaun Lowther on the CHQR 770 World Cup Show this past Tuesday and gave Calgary a wee glimpse into his ever shining personality which I eluded to in my last post. Here is a sample of the live broadcast: 770 - " So...Tino are you watching the World Cup?" Tino - "Yes." 770 - "Do you enjoy the Vuvuzela?" Tino - "No." 770 - "What is your involvement in the game?" Tino - "I coach." there you have it...30 minutes of one word answers oh the charismatic one.
Speaking of Shaun - what a good sport but what an ever growing easy target - pardon the pun. We had ordered new academy shirts this season and had to switch manufacturers with much discussion into sizing and so forth. Shaun insisted we go with pre-shrunk cotton for obvious sensible reasons. This small detail needs to be shared because he came skipping, and jumping into the office after the recent English triumph but suddenly froze as he looked down at the reflection staring back from his desk - "Troye did you not order the pre-shrunk cotton? I think my academy shirt has shrunk I will need to speak to Karen about that"......lol. Lowther quote of the week - "May I see the desert menu?". I think the diet is over. Sorry Shaun I have to do it...I get requests to take the micky of you.
I would like to share a great piece of coaching advice I stumbled across through ByteSize Coaching contributed by Andy Donahue:
Einstein - the Golfer
In the late 1930's a young golf instructor had the formidable task of trying to teach the game to the renowned physicist Albert Einstein. The instructor had all of the eagerness of youth without the wisdom of age, so it must have been a sight seeing this young man trying to help Einstein develop a swing.
Unfortunately, what Einstein had in mental ability he seemed to lack in physical dexterity. His hand-eye coordination wasn't the best, and Einstein kept missing many of his shots. After each miss the young golf pro dutifully pointed out what Einstein had done wrong.
-"take the club back more slowly"
-"choke up on the club"
-"keep your head down"
-"don't open up the club face"
-"you're jerking the club when you transition into the downswing"
Finally, the obviously frustrated Einstein asked the young golf pro to hand him a few balls, which the golf pro did. The, throwing four balls back to the pro at once, Einstein yelled, "Catch!"
The pro dodged and weaved but failed to catch a single ball. Einstein raised his finger and offered, "Young man, if I throw you just one ball, you can catch it. If I throw four balls at once, you can't catch even one. So when you teach, make only one point at a time!"
Einstein's admonition - make only one point at a time - is good advice for youth soccer coaches as well.
Design your practice around one main point. Then provide a variety of games and activities throughout the practice that allow you to illustrate this point!
Moving along - Calgary United is set and almost ready....to do battle with Vitoria of Brazil this coming Friday Evening and the support from nsdsc has been fantastic! I hope to see you there and also hope to entertain on the pitch.
David Bailey with us from Bolton this week - great guy, fantastic vision and someone whom I believe will truly help this club reach the next level as he already has left us with considerable insight and resources. It is gong to be hard not to support Bolton this coming season!
Team of the Week - NSDSC Saints 98 - something special about this group - they work, they compete and they are improving leaps and bounds. I absolutely love training this team - well done ladies.
Well that's all this week - good luck on the pitch and enjoy the soccer.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Bumble Bee Melody, Whoopsy and Pending Dismissal!
Alas, week three in blogger world with many things to dwell upon. First and foremost I must inform you all that I have recently been the recipient of a threat - I am told by my immediate supervisor that if I mention his name, diet and/or fitness again that I will be dismissed. Tempting - I could use a holiday.
The World Cup is well underway with all of the usual anticipation; however, I would not be alone in suggesting that thus far we as viewers world wide have been left underwhelmed. Dull, low scoring affairs, prone to incredible blunders and uninteresting headlines. With little doubt the grandest blunder thus far would be Robert Green and his lapse of concentration at the worst possible time in the recent England - USA fixture: Whoopsy! I must say I did feel a bit for him and remain most impressed with both his ability to remain in the match; making a fantastic save in the second half, in addition to how he and his teammates have handled the media post match.
Vuvuzela - sometimes called a "lepatata" (its Tswana name) or a "headache" (its Television Audio name) is by design a blowing horn up to approximately 1m in length. It is commonly blown by fans at soccer matches in South Africa. Technically speaking the instrument is played using a simple brass instrument technique of blowing through compressed lips to create a buzz, and emits a loud monotone - Bb3 if you must know. As I sat down to view the first match of the World Cup I annoyingly spent most of the first half trying to diagnosis what I was sure an audio difficulty with my television as the sound of a massive parade of bumble bee's invading my surround sound was all new to me. I am told this is a part of South Africa and their culture thus I will leave it alone BUT wow what a deeply troubling sound to endure.
Moving on - 770 CHQR AM Radio is hosting a World Cup show and have asked several local soccer figures to sit in and offer their insight to the "beautiful game" airing live on Tuesday Evenings from 8:00PM. This week's guest was to be our very own Shaun Lowther; however, Shaun has backed out at the eleventh hour upon discovering that CHQR would in fact not be feeding him! None the less the show must go on and tonight's guest will be Tino Fusco of Mt Royal University and the Alberta Soccer Association which poses to be interesting as I do know the local police have been searching for Tino's personality for quite some time. In all seriousness I love Tino and in fact my kids refer to him as Uncle Tino but the sound of silence this evening could prove to be an awkward radio moment. Yes, yes I too will be a guest on the program in the coming week's which is strange considering I am blessed with television looks but sadly will be hidden on the radio - I need an agent.
Finally, I am excited to announce that Calgary United whom both Shaun and I coach are privileged to play host to Esporte Clube Vitoria from Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. The match features the very best Calgary has to offer versus a team known as one of the elite clubs in Brazil. Vitoria plays in the Serie A and look to provide a rare opportunity for all of us to get a glimpse of some pure quality right here in Calgary. A special thanks to Chris Baker (CUFC Owner) for organizing such an event and I hope to see many of you at the pitch on June 25th cheering on your local boys on a world stage. Please see our nsdsc website for the press release and ticket information.
Team of the week: NSDSC Saints 95 - a well played match versus the league leaders of U16 Tier 1 girls and a remarkable performance at the past Academy session despite having spent two days at Spruce Meadows in a fundraising contest. Pure Class and a direct result of the coaching staff Dean Drozdiak and Wes Oddan. Well Done!
Have a great week on the pitch and enjoy the World Cup! I'm out.
"It's the lack of belief that makes people afraid of meeting challenges, and I believed in myself" - the great Muhammad Ali.
The World Cup is well underway with all of the usual anticipation; however, I would not be alone in suggesting that thus far we as viewers world wide have been left underwhelmed. Dull, low scoring affairs, prone to incredible blunders and uninteresting headlines. With little doubt the grandest blunder thus far would be Robert Green and his lapse of concentration at the worst possible time in the recent England - USA fixture: Whoopsy! I must say I did feel a bit for him and remain most impressed with both his ability to remain in the match; making a fantastic save in the second half, in addition to how he and his teammates have handled the media post match.
Vuvuzela - sometimes called a "lepatata" (its Tswana name) or a "headache" (its Television Audio name) is by design a blowing horn up to approximately 1m in length. It is commonly blown by fans at soccer matches in South Africa. Technically speaking the instrument is played using a simple brass instrument technique of blowing through compressed lips to create a buzz, and emits a loud monotone - Bb3 if you must know. As I sat down to view the first match of the World Cup I annoyingly spent most of the first half trying to diagnosis what I was sure an audio difficulty with my television as the sound of a massive parade of bumble bee's invading my surround sound was all new to me. I am told this is a part of South Africa and their culture thus I will leave it alone BUT wow what a deeply troubling sound to endure.
Moving on - 770 CHQR AM Radio is hosting a World Cup show and have asked several local soccer figures to sit in and offer their insight to the "beautiful game" airing live on Tuesday Evenings from 8:00PM. This week's guest was to be our very own Shaun Lowther; however, Shaun has backed out at the eleventh hour upon discovering that CHQR would in fact not be feeding him! None the less the show must go on and tonight's guest will be Tino Fusco of Mt Royal University and the Alberta Soccer Association which poses to be interesting as I do know the local police have been searching for Tino's personality for quite some time. In all seriousness I love Tino and in fact my kids refer to him as Uncle Tino but the sound of silence this evening could prove to be an awkward radio moment. Yes, yes I too will be a guest on the program in the coming week's which is strange considering I am blessed with television looks but sadly will be hidden on the radio - I need an agent.
Finally, I am excited to announce that Calgary United whom both Shaun and I coach are privileged to play host to Esporte Clube Vitoria from Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. The match features the very best Calgary has to offer versus a team known as one of the elite clubs in Brazil. Vitoria plays in the Serie A and look to provide a rare opportunity for all of us to get a glimpse of some pure quality right here in Calgary. A special thanks to Chris Baker (CUFC Owner) for organizing such an event and I hope to see many of you at the pitch on June 25th cheering on your local boys on a world stage. Please see our nsdsc website for the press release and ticket information.
Team of the week: NSDSC Saints 95 - a well played match versus the league leaders of U16 Tier 1 girls and a remarkable performance at the past Academy session despite having spent two days at Spruce Meadows in a fundraising contest. Pure Class and a direct result of the coaching staff Dean Drozdiak and Wes Oddan. Well Done!
Have a great week on the pitch and enjoy the World Cup! I'm out.
"It's the lack of belief that makes people afraid of meeting challenges, and I believed in myself" - the great Muhammad Ali.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Henry, Little Shoes and the other Glasgow team...
So here we go - I have yet to be discontinued and have been granted at least one more blog prior to what I am sure is a pending expiry date.
I am pretty happy to announce that our very own Jamie Pollock and his size 6 shoes will be filling my size 8's at Mt Royal University this coming Fall. I could try and suggest that he has big shoes to fill but obviously I don't have big feet and Jamie is as good as they come and without doubt one of the very best teachers the game has to offer. Mt Royal is a great program rich in history with perhaps the best part being the many nsdsc alumni whom now sport the Cougar blue and the hire of Jamie as the MSOC Head Coach is a significant step forward for a program with tremendous ambition - congratulations Jamie!
Interesting fact - I have not seen a Nalgene bottle in this office since my previous post and if in fact Shaun is still sipping the murky, maple syrup and lemon water it is off site well out of the blogger's vantage point. I did; however, notice his silhouette remarkably close to one of our many Spin Bikes at NSD. Hmmmmm, I wonder if?
The World Cup is upon us and the little Geordie is hopping around the office in glee with hopes of English triumph; however, I personally venture to guess that in a short while he like I will spend several lonely hours watching the aspirations of other nations come to fruition. In my case I am abit annoyed that I can not seem to find the Irish anywhere on the television schedule so instead I have come up with a grand idea for a world cup pool - all the usual - predict the winners, the golden boot winner and so forth BUT receive bonus points for predicting which players will lead his team to victory by way of a hand ball. Sorry Thierry Henry is taken.
Back to the local scene - if you want to see a team play some quality soccer get out and take a look at our very own NSDSC Rangers. The Rangers are coached by Scott McGeoch whom I believe to be a closet Glasgow Celtic supporter - aren't we all closet supporters after the recent horrid season. In all seriousness Scott has done a remarkable job and invested much time into the current Tier 1 U14 leaders. In fact Scott has the boys playing a better brand than his beloved Glasgow Rangers - well done Scott and thanks for that! Be sure to check them out at some point this season and look for the match versus arch rivals SWU FC 96.
That's all for this week - enjoy the start of the World Cup and as always good luck on the pitch!
"Success isn't something that just happens - success is learned, success is practiced and then it is shared" - Sparky Anderson - Former MLB Manager.
I am pretty happy to announce that our very own Jamie Pollock and his size 6 shoes will be filling my size 8's at Mt Royal University this coming Fall. I could try and suggest that he has big shoes to fill but obviously I don't have big feet and Jamie is as good as they come and without doubt one of the very best teachers the game has to offer. Mt Royal is a great program rich in history with perhaps the best part being the many nsdsc alumni whom now sport the Cougar blue and the hire of Jamie as the MSOC Head Coach is a significant step forward for a program with tremendous ambition - congratulations Jamie!
Interesting fact - I have not seen a Nalgene bottle in this office since my previous post and if in fact Shaun is still sipping the murky, maple syrup and lemon water it is off site well out of the blogger's vantage point. I did; however, notice his silhouette remarkably close to one of our many Spin Bikes at NSD. Hmmmmm, I wonder if?
The World Cup is upon us and the little Geordie is hopping around the office in glee with hopes of English triumph; however, I personally venture to guess that in a short while he like I will spend several lonely hours watching the aspirations of other nations come to fruition. In my case I am abit annoyed that I can not seem to find the Irish anywhere on the television schedule so instead I have come up with a grand idea for a world cup pool - all the usual - predict the winners, the golden boot winner and so forth BUT receive bonus points for predicting which players will lead his team to victory by way of a hand ball. Sorry Thierry Henry is taken.
Back to the local scene - if you want to see a team play some quality soccer get out and take a look at our very own NSDSC Rangers. The Rangers are coached by Scott McGeoch whom I believe to be a closet Glasgow Celtic supporter - aren't we all closet supporters after the recent horrid season. In all seriousness Scott has done a remarkable job and invested much time into the current Tier 1 U14 leaders. In fact Scott has the boys playing a better brand than his beloved Glasgow Rangers - well done Scott and thanks for that! Be sure to check them out at some point this season and look for the match versus arch rivals SWU FC 96.
That's all for this week - enjoy the start of the World Cup and as always good luck on the pitch!
"Success isn't something that just happens - success is learned, success is practiced and then it is shared" - Sparky Anderson - Former MLB Manager.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
The First Post - Bolton, Maple Syrup and Lemon.
Okay so here we go the first NSDSC Blog Posting. I was given simple instructions - make sure to use spellcheck and please be professional. So I sit here at the black desk opposite the red desk with thoughts of professionalism racing through my head. I might struggle with such thoughts! Speaking of which, Shaun has started his new maple syrup and lemon water diet - no food just the jar of murky water. I caught him looking at his profile in the reflection of the office window and am sure I heard him curse that he had gained 3 pounds since the diet started. Should I tell him the Guinness is counter productive?
On a serious note I hope you've now become familiar with the recent release regarding our relationship with Bolton Wanderer's of the EPL. I would like to take the opportunity to remind everyone that this relationship is not about professional trials for our young players but rather about coach education and player development with some factual lessons on the reality of what is required both to get to the next level and stay there. I am proud of this fact as some would find it both tempting and easy to dangle the carrot and market professional trials for the purpose of clout, recruiting and so forth. Reality is such that an opportunity could very well occur but only in cases where it is warranted and after much education on the required standards. This is a great opportunity for our coaches, players and club as a whole as we will now be privy to insight from on of the modern game's most cutting edge clubs. It is interesting to point out that at Bolton they believe in the four A's when evaluating players - Attitude, Athleticism, Ability, Ambition in that order. This is very much something that we will explore further in the near future as I believe the principle to have much merit in our own club as well. I am happy to announce that Bolton Wanderer International Soccer School Manager David Bailey will visit us at NSD on June 20 for a week long visit including coach education and player development opportunities. We will be sure to put on a club social where Shaun can work on the fourth pound while David is here.
I would also take this opportunity to acknowledge our many volunteers and thank you all for the work you do with our young players - this includes all whom coach and manage our teams in a club close to 2000 strong. In many cases this commitment surpasses the hours on the pitch as I witnessed this past Sunday while house hunting in Lake Sundance - Coach Stephanne driving his truck in and out of neighbourhood streets collecting bottles with one of his two teams to fundraise for a post season trip to California! If I am not mistaken Stephanne had repeated the task the previous day with his other team! Thanks Stephanne you are another one of our true gems.
I will sign off and wish you all the best in your coming fixtures - good luck on the pitch!
"If you don't invest very much, then defeat doesn't hurt very much and winning isn't very exciting." -Dick Vermeil NFL Coach.
Cheers, Troye Flannery
NSDSC Technical Director
On a serious note I hope you've now become familiar with the recent release regarding our relationship with Bolton Wanderer's of the EPL. I would like to take the opportunity to remind everyone that this relationship is not about professional trials for our young players but rather about coach education and player development with some factual lessons on the reality of what is required both to get to the next level and stay there. I am proud of this fact as some would find it both tempting and easy to dangle the carrot and market professional trials for the purpose of clout, recruiting and so forth. Reality is such that an opportunity could very well occur but only in cases where it is warranted and after much education on the required standards. This is a great opportunity for our coaches, players and club as a whole as we will now be privy to insight from on of the modern game's most cutting edge clubs. It is interesting to point out that at Bolton they believe in the four A's when evaluating players - Attitude, Athleticism, Ability, Ambition in that order. This is very much something that we will explore further in the near future as I believe the principle to have much merit in our own club as well. I am happy to announce that Bolton Wanderer International Soccer School Manager David Bailey will visit us at NSD on June 20 for a week long visit including coach education and player development opportunities. We will be sure to put on a club social where Shaun can work on the fourth pound while David is here.
I would also take this opportunity to acknowledge our many volunteers and thank you all for the work you do with our young players - this includes all whom coach and manage our teams in a club close to 2000 strong. In many cases this commitment surpasses the hours on the pitch as I witnessed this past Sunday while house hunting in Lake Sundance - Coach Stephanne driving his truck in and out of neighbourhood streets collecting bottles with one of his two teams to fundraise for a post season trip to California! If I am not mistaken Stephanne had repeated the task the previous day with his other team! Thanks Stephanne you are another one of our true gems.
I will sign off and wish you all the best in your coming fixtures - good luck on the pitch!
"If you don't invest very much, then defeat doesn't hurt very much and winning isn't very exciting." -Dick Vermeil NFL Coach.
Cheers, Troye Flannery
NSDSC Technical Director
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