Camellia Cup 2008 Champions

Players,

I wanted to congratulate you for the rewards of your hard work. There were a lot of really good things that happened on the field this weekend and you should be proud. Everyone did their part and showed what it meant to be a team.

As the tournament progressed, I saw a lot more communication on the field between players which gave you more opportunities to move the ball and anticipate the next move. Your fitness level was better than the other teams and that definitely made a difference. What I appreciated most as a coach was your heart! Some of you wanted to die out there in the heat but kept going and giving more than you thought you had. Impressive girls!!

There are some things for us to work on and we will be introducing some new tactics for kick offs and set pieces. Just remember that there is tougher competition than what we saw this weekend and we need to continue to work hard at practice so that when you get on the field, all that hard work and effort will give you the outcome you want.

For now, enjoy your victory because you deserve it but be ready to get after it again during our practices.

Congratulations,

Coach Rich

From Coach Derek

Parents and Players, Derek wanted me to pass this along to all of you but time got away from me so here it is just a little late.

Hi folks. I just wanted to wish the team the very best of luck this weekend in your first tournament of the season. I can't begin to tell you how much I miss the girls, the team and all that goes with it, even the parents !!

Coach Rich has kept me informed of the progress and the new additions and I'm excited for you all. I will be very eager to hear the weekend's results and maybe even catch some of the games if Mr Nick can hook me up !!

Please tell the girls I'm rooting for them and Natalie and I will be there in spirit. Remind them to be "FIRST TO THE BALL"..........and Don, hope you can carry that Scottish accent across the field !!

All the best,
"Coach" Derek.

Slidell Tournament Schedule

We have the schedule now for the tournament. It is on the blog so I encourage you to take a look. It will be listed under Important Information on the right hand side. Our first game is not until 11:30 a.m. on Saturday so a Friday night stay is probably not necessary.

I am unclear on the playoff structure but have asked for clarification. More than likely, since we all play each other, it will probably be the one with the most points after three games since there are only 4 teams in our bracket. As you will notice on the schedule, they are teams we have not played so I am very excited about that. We will play 2-35 minute halves which is great to help with the fitness.

The other factor to be aware of is that we are combined with u14 teams. Again, exciting in that we will have some difficult and I imagine seasoned competition. Great test for our team.

We can talk more on Thursday but don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

Thanks,

Rich

Slidell Tournament

Parents,

As we begin our run up to the Slidell Tournament this weekend, please make sure that our players are getting the right amount of rest and nutrition. This is really important. Try to limit caffinated drinks right before and during any games. It dehydrates the players and that can cause cramping, etc. Also, nothing really heavy or lots of sweets (give them a good breakfast). The field is bigger and there is more running. I will be pushing them to keep moving during every game.

Also, don't forget that each player is responsible for their own drinks. I recommend they bring more than one small sports drink in a bottle. The best thing in my opinion is a large jug of ice water. You can't ever have too much water.

Thursday will be an important practice right before the tournament and I may keep them an extra 10-15 minutes to discuss a few items for the tournament.

Once Samoa gets the schedules, she will notify you but if you want to check the website, here it is. We will be playing two 35 minute halves so it will be a real test of their fitness.

Don't hesitate to contact Samoa or me with any questions or concerns you might have.

Rich

p.s. You can see the tournament rules on the website.

Lafayette Tournament

Parents,

I am sad to inform you that our application for the Lafayette tournament has been denied due to lack of teams in our age bracket. We are now scrambling to try and find a tournament that will fit our schedules. Not sure what else to say except that it is extremely disappointing and I am sure our players will be VERY discouraged as well.

I will try and make some calls to other coaches around the state and see what other tournaments they are trying to attend. Frustrating!!!!