Football au Printemps : volume and space and money and connexions and Travaille

I had off Friday - there were no kids systemwide in school, so Sub's aren't used. I get an off day, but for staffed teachers, these are such blessed days - we LOVE the kids, but it's also like..... um..... an off day when they are not there. Adults can chill w/ their colleagues etc etc etc... no discipline, etc etc etc...

Volume

I think, more than anywhere, it was dj'ing various 'shows' over the year that has led me to think that in certain contexts (et oui, context est tout) there should be a .... I hate to use the term, but....a "decider"*. My experience is that when I have been in that position, it really is a position of confidence in yrself - if you got a floor full, and you feel the next song will carry it on - then confidently spirit - if they hate it, then surely the next song will reintroduce moving female forms to the context. The person in charge really has to set the tone - and the millions of people asking for this song this song this song - sometimes, ya just gotta say no. A lot of times you have to say no to individuals for the greater whole. You know - do the rit thing, even if most aren't down w/ it.

So - as techino directo of my team, I fully understand that i also have to be in this position. You readers have to know by now how much of myself I am putting into the team. It's very important to get it rite - and a big part of it is that these kids are ...... I have to get it rite for them.

But getting it rite means that I have to make lots of tough - even terrible - decisions on personnel. Last year we had two teams - varsity and junior varsity. My team was given to me - the head coach from the last two years picked all the players to make the squad, then divided up the two teams (this was fine, btw - I had no clue who a lot of the girls were and appreciated the help). This year we'll have three teams - a new Fresh/soph team is to be created - so we'll have maybe 17-18 more spaces available - but will, I am going to have to cut, maybe, 100 girls from the team after tryouts. Luckily I will only have to put up a list - no face to face - but it still will be very hard. I have stated that the girls whom played last year - they have made the team. No cuts - how could I? this may go against my stated policy of "everything to make the team better' - but I also know that it is not just talent and promise that make a team better - the chemistry of the team is as important. if I cut certain kids who made us who we were last year - I 'm not doing it. I have decided this is important. I have decided.

So - officially practice can begin on 1 Mars. However, 'conditioning' is allowed in ff season, as long as I don't actually coach. I got us some small gym time @ a local park - not too much, but a bit of a God send - and the varisty had some of the JV have been showing up. Legally, I gotta take everyone who shows up (until 1 March - rite now, it's billed as 'open gym') - so alongside some of my magnificent V. players, I have some 14 yo never played soccer before punters....err, pikers.... This is totally fine, but I kinda feel bad if these girls keep showing up to "open gym" and when proper cuts come- I will have to cut them.

However, they have been doing the rite thing - in all truth, if one of these girls who are no classically athletic shows up all the time - i'm gonna know her name and she will have an 'up' on other girls.

But still. Necessary cuts loom.

Space

It's even more serious beginning Monday. For the next month, we will be going M-W-F, stepping up conditioning from 2m/sprints this week to 3m/sp and then 4m/sp in the next month. (By then, we should get a gym space in the school proper - the magic date is when the girls BBall team loses in the state playoffs. Their season ends - we get their space inside. I'm monitoring the situation).

I have done well to get us some gym time, but we face a huge hurdle when it comes to 1 march - the park we play @ will not allow us to pay on their grass - because they get a tonne of money from baseball leagues, and they are afraid our girls will tear up the field. So - we get screwed. Real big. And this is a major issue for m. We have a giant park rite outside the school, but in spring - it's all dedicated to baseball/softball. So - two huge parks for us to pay in - but we are not allowed. It seem that instead of making the girls soccer team walk to a park 3/4 of a mile away from school to practice in a aark that is dedicated to baseball - well, what about making the baseball/softball teams to make the trek. Shit- there are soccer fields and goals set up outside the school after all.

And I will say now - when i make a real success of this team - when I have raised the visibility of this team to equal that of the boys basketball team (well, I bet we won;t have as many games televised games as them....) and have amassed capital enough for a next step - then I will suggest.

But the program has to roll .... and it's all my responsibility. Good. I am ready and it is supposed to be me here in this position. I have learned from those I deeply respect - and I need to apply those things. Wait - I am doing that. And I need to continue.

Out of order in context of time, but in order in terms of subject - after practice...... conditioning..... I went to see several people on business. the first was the parks manager. He'd given me a form for the principal to sign giving permission that this is an official school thing going on. GREAT, I felt last month when he first gave it to me. The Principal will never sign this, and our space will be limited. However, he gave the form to get signed again (I conveniently lost it last month) - no way out. Long story short, I went into school after conditioning and sheepishly asked one of the 2 AP's that are really really really easy to talk to (Always i go to them for everything - run it by them and get their reaction. They are very very approachable and it makes it easier for me). Front office, and one of the basketball coaches was there. I always talk to him on coaching matters - he is a sounding board for my ideas and such - and when I asked him if he'd ever seen the form, he said -"Oh, yeah, it's yr lucky day - we have to fill these out too - and wow - you got time @ that gym? - hey, that's tough". Easy matter for the AP to sign it too - I love our principal, but for whatever matter- I was very happy to get that done so easily.

The other space matter regards an empty lot across the street from this park. Not a lot, but a shuttered business.... that also has a baseball field on it's property. The meeting w/ the park manager alerted me to the fact that the park is trying to get the property for it's use. immediately, action went through my mind. I'd seen this park on Google earth or whatever when I realised that we couldn't play until April on our field. Needing an alternative for that month, I look'd about for available space. The park director told me that they use it for baseball in the summer - but I wonder two things:

1)can we use it in March for soccer?
2)can I start a long term political harangue to get that property bought by the city and dedicated to soccer?

Immediately, issues such as education, opportunities for girls/women, and discrimination on sex and racial lines immediately came up. Listen.... we need and reserve a fucking field to play on. America and the world depends on the 50 girls that are going to be playing for us (and if you don't believe that, move back to russia you nazi) - they are too important to the world. And if I keep pumping out good things for the school and program, maybe we can do something for the youth of the 'hood. Well, the soccer playing girls of the hood.

So - this may lead me into , well, community organizing. I may have to reclaim being a Democratic Party person again, as well. I'm not so sure a Green representative will go to far in that fucking city ward. But I also know that I can be a force in these issues because of... well, sometimes I can argue well and persuade, and now here seems an real issue I care about and is deeply deeply important in many areas. Maybe not as much as , say, forcing GE to clean the Hudson fully, but very important for my girls and the future of girls in my school and city.

Eventually, Chicagoans reading, you will be asked to help. I helped you do whatever, rite?

Connexions and Money

After practice - yes, I'll handle that last - I went to Lek Hs to firm up our match for the first week of the season. This program is a famous one for both boys and girls soccer - and luckily, I know the coach and arranged for a game last fall. Is topped in, and we decided on the 19 March @ the turf field @ Marquette Park. It's great we have a match w/ a Premier League team (we are a step below in the First Division) - our other games rite now are the seven conference games (w/in the First Div.) and three games I got w/ Second Division schools. So - to schedule a premier school is really kool. However, my deep excitement on discovering that in certain contexts we can save $$ by agreeing to use a student as ref - not everyone wants that. Lek's coach said - no, wanna ref, and there was no way to get around it. No way I'm telling this guy - one of the famous and well known coaches in our system who we treasure - that I was gonna argue. So - that game will be expensive for us - the field is free, but we have to get a bus and then $97 for one of the two refs = that's about $250 from us tiny kitty. That's a lot, since I want to avoid, a.m.a.p., paying for the team out of my own pocket.

The coach also gave me some numbers, showed me a 'contract' for most games, walked me through other procedures, etc etc etc... I never coached w/ him when I worked @ that school, but knew him well and used to go to the games - even travelling way far my RTA when they made it to the final 16 in the state one year (YES!!). he also called Marquette and reserved the t field for another game for me - that opening game I'm trying to nail down w/ Lit HS. I'd coached there 10 ya and wanted to pay them again - but the team has fallen on hard times. It used to be one of the citys best ( I was a wee junior coach back then and had nothing a'tall to do w/ the programs prominence) but now only has one team - the varsity - where we used to have two. So, our opening game - either 16 or 17 Mars, hopefully @ Marquette. But again - gotta nail it down. But -as I get my hands dirty in all the scheduling and money and all that - its ok, and I'm getting more ideas, and.....


Travaille

Conditioning went well. There were little problems - well, only that out two central creative players have not yet shown up - one a dainty but deeply skilled girl - the other a BULL, and my central player last year who I really really really want to see perform on this higher level. But, again, the curtain went up, V. and JV tams basically separated, and the kids just sweat for 2h. Jesus such peace comes over me in such times. there is a role, and here I am to fill it. Maybe even fill it better - in context .... ok, I'll stop self aggrandizing for a bit to get back to the team.

Pract..... conditioning was great. V. girls just need to be yelled @ once - "C"MON, LETS GO - WE ONLY GOT 2H HERE!" to get them organized and rolling. What will eventually make up the JV and FR/SO were on th other side of the curtain and still needed a bit ok 'lets get going' to organize up.

There are two V. -v-JV issues. One is the problem that I will have next year - the V. are practically all seniors and will be gone next year. So this years JV - with, maybe--4 holdovers - will have to make up the team next year. So, I have been taking some of the girls from JV and shuttling them into the V. games to get them several things-

one, that they are part of the team as a whole, and by extension, the V. is part of them. e are all on the same team.

two, to expose them to the faster game of the older girls so I can blackmail them later in the year to "WORK HARD", because next year you will be @ this level and you better be up to it"

three, to make sure that the term "Varsity" mans a great deal @ my school. It is a level not to be given out - but rather deserved. One makes the Varsity, and that is a great honour.

The other big deal is what to do w/ other two freshie hopefuls, #99 and #5. Both are great, ad yes I do weep for thanks that we got some gamers coming in. Thank you, Jesus. They are really good, and the very question of either V. or JV as the proper place for them is up in the air. Dunno rite now where they will fit. Will watch for the next month, and maybe decide then. For now, I am having them play the first bit w/ the JV, then after a bit putting them w/ the V. They are both really skilled - but i am not sure simply that there is any space for them on V. As it stands, I will carry maybe 17 girls on the roster - I can promote girls from JV in the morning of a game, so I have flexibility in case of an injury. And I'm sure about, say 13-14. Many of my JV players from last year - especially the seniors - want to be on varsity - but I really need to take only those who will be best for the team. So, for now, I will continue to showcase newer players and older players w/ time on V. - but will try to be fair and let many of these picked players have a taste of the V. Truth be told - #5 and #99 skills in practice should be showcased versus the varsity - Their skills are way above the JV players and need to be honed against those players larger and better than them - but if during the season they will just sit on the bench during games while the V. players eat up most of the playing time minutes - then maybe it'd be better for them to grow a year on JV. Trust me - both will be HUGE factors on varsity next year.

So, as I shuttled girls back and forth - every ten minutes I would rotate a JV girl from last year over to play in the V. sector of the gym. W/ # 99 and #5, I had them in the JV section till about 45m passed, then shuttled them permanently over to the V. side of the gym.

I have asked patience from the girls. I have explained that this is my call and the way i want it to go. You see, in this context, someone needs to decide. And my V. girls - so important to win over, esp. for a new coach - have allowed me to decide. They trust me because they have seen me in action. That's a good thing. I know I have them, and by their actions, they know they have me.

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*= and true, I kinda feel unclean using that term. I remember The Guitars used it on an email when we were all dithering about where to go that particular Friday/ Saturday nite (god, remember those days? Every weekend the emails would...... ok, that's for a fullpost, so.......