***HAPPY HOLIDAYS***
The Dynamos wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!
Remembering Joe B.
KYLIE TREASURES HIS WISDOM AND SUPPORT
"I’m trying to stay as busy as possible, because that’s my grieving process. I didn’t know Joe B. as long as y’all did, but the time I did, I’m beyond thankful for. There were conversations we had about cancer and trying to come back from it, as well as advice on starting my own business and how to pursue it. A lot of wisdom and support from so many different aspects of my life came from Joe B, and it’s weird knowing the next time I come home, there’s one less person there. I know if I stayed in that place of shock, I couldn’t impact people as profoundly as Joe B did. So it’s a daily thing that I’ve got to remind myself on."--Former Dynamos player Kylie Austin is 22 years old, from Houston but recently re-located to Dallas. She's a cancer survivor, professional athlete, and small business owner, recently graduated with a BA in History and Political Science, and currently pursuing her Masters in Sports Administration.
KEEPERS CELEBRATE
With the late Joe B. Napier looking down and adjusting the weather to a fine temperature on Thursday, a small group of goalkeepers congregated at Dyess Park on Field #1 for training and the Far Pavilion for the annual Keeper Club Christmas party. The keepers paid tribute to their recently-deceased friend after their final training session of the year (with Trainer Roland Sikinger) while commencing their evening of camaraderie. There was the annual feast of Locatelli's pizza, along with prizes, and gift-swapping fun. Samantha Nichols, Zac Cannon, and Victoria Finidori won top attendance awards (for the entire year) Victoria and Zac collecting prizes as closest guessers in the Candy Jar competition. Caleb Shiery was awarded the Starter's Kit, a bagful of helpful aides to better goalkeeping (for example, a tactical vest to ward off bullet-like body shots and Super Glue, guaranteed to prevent fumbling problems). The Krazy Keeper exchange was brisk and at times confusing, but there were no fist fights, and no crying. In attendance were keepers Samantha Nichols, Victoria Finidori, Zac Cannon, Caleb Shiery, Andrew Lobo, and Jillian Soliah, along with Kacie Paine, Kacie Cardenas, and Steven Franke.
BRADEN’S THE MANN
Leaping high fives to former Dynamos and Cy-Fair HS goalkeeper Braden Mann, named Monday as the punter for the NCAA All-America team. Mann's teammate at Texas A&M, tight end Jace Sternberger, also was selected as a first team All-American. Braden, a junior, just a week before became the first Aggie ever to win the Ray Guy Award, presented annually to the nation's top punter. With one game remaining--in the Gator Bowl--Braden leads the nation averaging 51.15 yards per punt, and is on pace to break the NCAA record of 50.28 set by LSU’s Chad Kessler in 1997. He already has broken a pair of NCAA records this season.
THE BUZZ
Congrats to longtime friends of the Dynamos, Ed and CeCe Camara, on the opening of another Soccer-4-All outlet, this time in Katy, where they are taking over Soccer Depot, located on Kingsland Blvd, just east of the Grand Parkway. . .Major thanks to Karen Nichols and Heather Cannon, goalkeeper Moms who lent a big hand at Thursday night’s annual Christmas Party. Thanks, too, to Houston’s radio-television personality Glenn Davis and Dynamos Director of Training Olivier Finidori for providing “goodies” for awards and prizes at the party. And a big high five to Dyess Park Rangers Robert and Mike for their assistance in making the annual event go smoothly. . .Plans are moving along for the staging of the 2019 Dynamos Puma Cup, scheduled for Feb. 9-10.This is an outstanding opportunity for under-nine through under-16 teams to get ready for upcoming Spring competitions. All bracket championship games will be played at Dyess Park on Sun., Feb. 10. . .”Soccer Matters” is all-talk and it really matters, as Glenn Davis hosts entertaining discussion about the great game on ESPN 97.5FM Wednesdays (and various other days) 7-9pm. Call-in number is 281-780-3776 to chat with the host and his guests. . .To submit items for The Buzz, or The Coaches Memo, email jwalker332@aol.com.
QUOTABLE
“It's easy to see, hard to foresee.”—Coach Benjamin Franklin
THOUGHT ON COACHING
(“Holiday Spirit” updated (again) from its first appearance in the Coaches Memo, Dec. 5, 2014)
Twas the nights (yes, that’s plural, many of them) before Christmas, traveling to and from training at Dyess Park and we already see, and hear, initial signs of the biggest holiday. Spinning the dial, there’s FMRadio 99.1 playing Christmas music 24 hours a day: “in the lane snow is glistening,”. . .uh, no, that’s rain on Kitzman. Beating everyone else to the punch, the estate at Kitzman’s third curve is already covered with blowups of Santa, Rudolph, Snoopy, and a myriad of others in an explosion of holiday lights. If you normally turn left leaving beautiful downtown Dyess, just once turn right and travel the five curves of Kitzman to Grant so you can view the third curve property and others who have now followed suit, setting their residences ablaze in red, yellow, orange, green, white and, yes, Dynamos blue. Turning into Dyess, you love the sight of reindeer in their pen prancing about, uh, no, those are goats and they are grazing not prancing. Ignoring softball diamonds on the left, you proceed into the park, reaching a triple dose of Xmas red, uh, no those are the first three stop signs, none of which have the holiday spirit if a constable is parked up ahead, bearing gifts of tickets if you transgress. But for sure there will be a welcoming smile (if you stop) from Rangers Robert, David, Mike or Pete, manning park headquarters on the right. Your trip is worth it, because the real lights of our lives—boys and girls of all ages--bring forth the holiday spirit on these very fields. Giggling, shouts, laughter, general merrymaking, and a whole Santa’s sackful of soccer skills, fill these fields weekly under Monday-thru-Thursday Lights (it's the other football that has Friday Night Lights and we wouldn’t have it any other way--we're off on Friday!) as teams focus on their favorite game under the watchful eyes of merry elves named Oli, Wilkie, Roli, Dave, Mark, Eddie, Stephen and Stacey). It’s a joyous time of year! But then, every night at Dyess is joyous and 2019 is just around the corner.—Jim Walker
ANOTHER THOUGHT
“FC Cincinnati will become Major League Soccer’s 24th team when it begins play in 2019. Miami and Nashville scheduled to join the league in 2020; Garber also referenced a reported new franchise in Austin, Texas, as potentially slotting in as the league’s 27th team. Several other cities have also submitted bids for an MLS expansion spot. Garber mentioned that the league will consider expanding beyond 28 teams. ‘We will grant the 28th team and make that decision sometime in the next 12 months,’ he said. ‘And then we’re going to have to decide if we want to go forward beyond 28 teams. That’s a discussion that is taking place, and we’ll begin to introduce that subject at our Board [of Governors] meeting in the middle of next week. I don’t expect or anticipate that there will be an announcement coming out of that, but there’s no doubt in my mind that we can support having more than 28 teams in Major League Soccer, no doubt in my mind.’”—Sam Steisjal, National MLS Writer.
IT’S ONLY FAIR
Coach Cy Fair was very unhappy to learn that his new midfielder is neither-footed.
Don’t mean to brag, whispered Coach Flo, but I finished my 14-day diet in three hours and 20 minutes.