Friday, 01 July, 2016 (2513 reads)

MADDIE IN CAROLINA
By Maddie Saucedo, goalkeeper for the U15 Dynamos, reporting on the team’s trip to Greensboro, N. C., in late June for the USC Regionals.
During our trip in North Carolina my team was trying to figure out things to do together as a team. When we got to the hotel Friday night, we all went out to eat, we laughed, talked, and enjoyed each other's company. Then along came our first game, Oli gave us a pep talk and we warmed up how we were going to play our game which was the way we know how to play. We finished that game with a 4-0 win against Florida. As a team we went to Chick-fil-a for a free lunch, and talked about what we would do that afternoon, and we all decided to go Zip-lining. Zip-lining was a blast. . .we were laughing, goofing around and being ourselves. After Zip-lining we all went to get pizza. We woke up the next morning with our game faces on, ready to show Virginia how the Dynamos from Texas play. We came out of that game with a 2-0 win and we were all happy and ready for the next one. We all decided to go see a movie together and ended up seeing "Finding Dory." It was fun to just relax and be together. Our last game rolls around the corner, and we are playing Pennsylvania. Oli said they played just like a team we played during our regular season and again we warm up how we are going to play our game, the way we know how, we were going to do what we do best, and that is to relax, pass and our opportunity will come. Unfortunately we came out of that game with a loss, the score was 4-0 Pennsylvania, we were upset, but we tried, we did the best we could. No matter what the score we knew we made people proud of how much we had accomplished.

KEEPER LIMERICK
There was a goalkeeper called Walter
Who played on the island of Malta.
But his kicks were so long
And the wind was so strong,
That the ball ended up in Gibraltar.

HOWARD READY TO PLAY IN MLS
The long wait is over. Tim Howard has finally joined the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer. The 37-year-old goalkeeper, been capped over 100 times as a member of the U. S. national team, was officially unveiled as a member of the Rapids, culminating a month-long process which completed his transfer from English Premier League club Everton FC after he signed with Colorado on March 20. He is expected to make his Rapids' debut Mon., July 4, at home against the Portland Timbers. "I just want to get out there. It’s what I do, it’s where I’m happiest. The sooner I can get on the field, the better.”--Marco Cummings, This Week in MLS

KeeperTalk
High fives to Samantha Nichols, voted Most Valuable Player among female goalkeepers at the recent Aggie Camp at Texas A&M. She returned to last week’s Keeper Club Fitness Program tired but happy. . .After two weeks of exceptional fun—torrid temperatures, leisurely jogs around beautiful downtown Dyess Park, five rounds of sizzling 70s each day, and other breath-taking activities—attendees at the Summer Conditioning and Technical Program had a ball, literally, when they were requested to bring their ball the last week of June. Sessions continue on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6pm until August 4. . .Many thanks for their help as Summer Fitness assistants to Kacie Paine and Kaitrin Miller. In the fall, Kacie will return to Texas A&M as a junior and Kaitrin will embark on her college career at the University of the Cumberlands in Kentucky. . .Before joining the group for Walker Camp, goalkeeper Ian Lancaster missed out on the extremely hot early days due to work, but he had the perfect job--scooping ice cream at Baskin-Robbins!. . .After two weeks at the Walker Camp, Mya Trager was off to Mongomery, Alabama, to attend the Regional Olympic Development Program camp as a South Texas player. . .Good luck to Dr. Heather Koudelka Sgro, who will be keeping goal for the Houston Challengers in a national over-30’s tournament in Denver during July. Dr. Heather will return to join the action for at least one day of the Summer Goalkeeper Camp Aug. 17-19. . .My heartfelt thanks to everyone for the wonderful birthday wishes, cupcakes, cake and balloon on June 28th, my 81st. For me, the biggest gift is a great group of players for the Summer Fitness and Technical Program, each one listening and doing the simple things right!. . .Answer to the quiz question for June was “Go to the Ball,” the four words repeated four times in that month’s Keeper Secrets, and the winner of the drawing for a $25 gift card is: Samantha Nichols! Quiz question for July is: What is the term Keeper Club uses for punting distance and accuracy? Keepers AND field players are eligible for this month's prize drawing. Email your answer to jwalker@dynamossoccer.com for entry in the July drawing for a $25 gift card. If you have news items, photos, anecdotes, or tips on goalkeeping, please send to jwalker@dynamossoccer.com.

Keeper Club's Samantha Nichols was voted Most Valuable Player among the "Younger Girls" goalkeepers at Texas A&M's Aggie Camp in late June. Best of all, Sam and her brother Alexander had a "blast!" at the camp, whose director is longtime Dynamos friend G Guerrieri and whose keeper instructor is Dynamos trainer Roland Sikinger.

Former Keeper Club member Izzy Tullier shows off the division championship trophy her team won in Massachusetts in mid-June. Izzy didn't give up a goal in her four halves as goalkeeper and also scored once while playing on the field. Amazingly, Izzy returned for the spring season after breaking her right arm and shoulder at the growth plate and missing all of the Fall season. She attributed Keeper Club training as the foundation for her tournament success.

KEEPER LOG
Goalkeepers, and field players, who attended the Keeper Club’s Conditioning and Technical training during June:
14—Maison Bell, Kaileigh Duncan, Karryn Duncan, Brooke Hensley, Isobel Herrod, Kaeden Johnson, Claire Juenke, Alexander Nichols, Samantha Nichols, Haelyn Rankin, Reese Schmadeke, Drew Thetford, Mya Trager. Michelle MacIntyre, Will Rossiter, Sean Bartholomew, Assisting: Kacie Paine, Kaitrin Miller.
16-Kaileigh Duncan, Karryn Duncan, Brooke Hensley, Ian Herrod, Isobel Herrod, Meghan Hollmann, Kaeden Johnson, Claire Juenke, Michelle McIntyre, Alexander Nichols, Samantha Nichols, Haelyn Rankin, Reese Schmadeke, Drew Thetford, Mya Trager, Will Rossiter; Assisting: Kacie Paine, Kaitrin Miller.
21—Michelle MacIntyre, Will Rossiter, Mya Trager, Claire Juenke, Kaeden Johnson, Meghan Hollman, Kaileigh Duncan, Maison Bell.
24—Isobel Herrod, Kaileigh Duncan, Kaeden Johnson, Drew Thetford, Alexander Nichols, Beth Rivera, Claire Juenke, Meghan Hollman, Emily Ramcharan, Payton Salinas, Haelyn Rankin, Mya Trager, Michelle MacIntryre, Samantha Nichols. Assisting: Kaitrin Miller
28—Sean Bartholomew, Maison Bell, Christian Burke, Sydney Cannon, Zac Cannon, Kaileigh Duncan, Karryn Duncan, Brooke Hensely, Ian Herrod, Isobel Herrod, Meghan Hollman, Kaeden Johnson, Claire Juenke, Michelle MacIntrye, Alexander Nichols, Samantha Nichols, Emily Ramcharon, Will Rossiter, Reese Schmadeke, Mya Trager. Assisting: Kacie Paine
30—Michelle MacIntyre, Haelyn Rankin, Emily Ramcharon, Samantha Nichols, Claire Juenke, Sean Bartholomew, Maison Bell, Christian Burke, Brooke Hensley, Karryn Duncan, Zac Cannon, Sydney Cannon, Ethan Urrutia, Maddie Saucedo, Ellie Basta (visitor), Assisting: Kacie Paine.

QUOTABLE
“As a goalkeeper you need to be good at organizing the people in front of you and motivating them. You need to see what's going on and react to the threats. Just like a good manager in business.”--Peter Shilton, who played more than 1,000 competitive matches for 11 different clubs and 125 times for England. He kept goal for every match of three consecutive World Cups—in 1982, 1986, and 1990.

TIP OF THE MONTH
Kicking should be not only for distance, but accuracy. At Keeper Club, we call it “D ’n A” and sometimes play soccer golf to emphasize the importance of both. Vision is important here since a well-placed kick will land in an area occupied by more of the keeper’s team than the opposing defenders. Even if the keeper’s team fails to control the ball, it may place the opponent’s team in an unworkable position. The key to punting is repetition. The basics must be mastered, and once mastered, the keeper should be a slave to them. Variety should come only in the ball’s direction.—Jim Walker, Just Say No! to Goals

KEEPING SECRETS
Start a notebook to diagram goals you give up in games and practices, and note why they happened. Draw a goal and every time you are scored upon, mark a dot or “x” where the ball entered the goal. When certain areas become dark, you’ll know this is where you need work. Understanding your mistakes will help you avoid making them again.