The Docket

Yesterday was a very interesting day in looking @ my past - I was able to chat and mix w/ the coaching staffs of three schools I used to be @. So, a school named after some old Irish mayor of Chicago - I chary of naming my workplaces in s.o. - played the second presidents school of which I am hanging out @ their games and practices these days (to learn better that coaching business). So, my day yesterday, in terms of High School Soccer:

The car crash (not me)

I was driving up Archer east - the 2d prez school was playing the irish mayor school @ a field 1 1/2 m east when I had to slow down and manoeuvre around two totaled cars. Hmmm, I wonder, Blue jerseys......hey, I know those faces!! So, it turned out that a car carrying several of the players of the school I was going to watch play had been smashed. I stopped, hung out for 20m until adults they knew came (Bimbo's parents) and I could carry on to the game.

Cooch Stosh

Coach Stosh is the long standing coach @ the school that has the best/second best soccer reputation* in the city. Mighty program. A model for what I want. I knew him because I was @ this school for several years - but never coached here. Stosh these days only has the girls, and his team in the Premier (top level- mine is in the First Division, which is the second level) league. So, one of the things I wanted out of this trip was to see if I could get a game w/ Stosh's team.

My thinking was this - we have seven conference games, which are very very important. The conference games determine the standings in the conference. The top two teams in conference are put in the Division better then them for the next year, and the bottom two teams are 'relegated' to the division worse than them for the next year. you always ant to be in the top two, and disaster occurs when you are in the bottom two. My aim is to get their veteran team into the top two of the first division so next year we'll be in the Premier.

So, although all game are important, conference games are generally very very important. To get ready for the conference games , i wanted to schedule a few weaker teams to get the team in playing shape and confident w/ some wins - when the season progresses and we are approaching city and state playoffs, i'd like the girls to play a few tougher teams. So, for me, i'd love to schedule Stoshes team late in the year when we have played some and have more of a to-getherteam. However, i'm sure Stosh 's thinking is the exact same as mine in getting his team ready. Since he is a well respected, long standing coach -who I am just lucky enough to know so I can actually ask him 'hey, you wanna play?'- when he asked for a game in the first week we are eligible to play - I had to say yes. It's great just to get a game w/ them. And the funny thing is is that I fully understood that Stosh wanted the game early so he could get his team playing well early in the season against my team - just like I did for other teams. Context is everything. But, he's gonna send the contract, and if yr in Marquette Park early march 2009, stop by that area of the park where St. Rita grammar school once in awhile had football games, and now are artificial turf soccer fields -71st and Kedzie.

R & R

And it was greatly gratifying to meet up w/ the guys I used to coach @ the Stockyards high School where I taught in the late 90's and early 00's. Two brothers, R & R, who ran that program after their brother -who was the head, and a great one - died suddenly and unexpectedly before I got their. Tis was the first program where they had offseason work, club teams, etc etc etc... if you remember, I have mentioned that period of my life where even though I was twice their age or so, I used to take a regualer soccer shift - 3m - w/ 16 y.o. mexican boys -great boys - twice a week for 3h each day. Best shape I've been in since my H.S. track days.

So, we reminised about the old days -that game, in OT, into that goal, where we beat this team? They both remembered. That loss? In the playoffs? Pk's @ Stagg Stadium?? To the team where my good buddies now coach rite here? Remeber the bitter taste in our mouth? Remember...... I told them of my situation as the head of my schools team, how they had influenced me, etc etc etc... It was only later when I realized that I should have grilled them about their coaching ideology. see, they are peoplewho for several years i was able to watch what they did with their teams. Now, when I am the one responsible, I want to - need to - know. (AS an aside, it's kinda funny the volume of "Coaching womens soccer' type books I've checked out recently.)

In soccer terms, it was a good day. I'm kinda hepped up for an all city series for baseball, so i will amidt that the baseball didn't go the way it should have yesterday. Sox in 10m, now.....
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*=believe it or not, Garnett's former school also has a whale of a soccer reputation)