August 2017
AUGUST TRAINING SCHEDULE
Summer Conditioning/Technical Program (which began June 13) ends Aug 3.
Summer Goalkeeper Camp is August 16-18 (5-8pm each day) at Dyess Park.
The 2017 fall training schedule TBA during Summer Goalkeeper Camp.
For more information, email JWalker332@aol.com or phone 281-217-1612.
Summer Camp
FOCUS ON EXCELLENCE
Appearances by veteran goalkeepers and experienced keeper trainers including David Benner and Brandon Renken are expected to highlight the training staff for the Keeper Club’s three-day summer camp to be held Aug. 16-18 at Dyess Park. David, a retired professional keeper who played in England, Argentina, and the United States, including stints with the Houston Hurricane and Houston Dynamos of past pro leagues, was the inspiration for formation of the Keeper Club at Cy-Fair in 1991. Brandon was one of the original Keeper Club members and after playing four years at Harvard University, became a Houston attorney but has continued to serve as an instructor for summer keeper camps. Kacie Paine, longtime Keeper Club member and Dynamos keeper now at Texas A&M, returns as an assistant after helping the Keeper Club’s summer fitness program and summer camps for the last few years. In addition to this quality instruction, the camp features an official camp t-shirt, daily prizes, an end-of-camp pizza party, and lots of fun. The fee is $150. The goalkeeper camp will not be part of the Select Camp this year, but will meet Wednesday through Friday (not Saturday this year). Camp hours are5pm until 8pm each day. You can register on this website.
Dynamos Summer Camps 2017
Select Camp, Aug.7-11
Future Stars Camp, Aug 14-16
Goalkeeper Camp, Aug. 16-18
FITNESS ABC’s FOR 2017
(This Walker Camp alphabet previously appeared in the July 21 issue of the Coaches Memo)
The "K's" have it! Battle between the number of names beginning with the letters "K" and "M" attending summer fitness camp ended very close with the K's (with the help of assistants Kacie and Kylie) prevailing 8-7. . .here’s the alphabet:
A for Abbie, Ashley, Ashlyn and Alex
B for Brooke (2)
C for Claire Bear
D for Don't walk, run
E for Everybody jogs
F for Franke, that’s Steven
G for Grace and Gabe
H for Haelyn
I for I'm tired
J for Jade, Jayden and Jacob
K for Kole, Kaileigh, Karryn, Keegan, Kohen, Karson, Kacie and Kylie
L for those Lovely sips of water
M for Maison, Mason, Meghan, Michelle, Mya, Maddie, and Mark
N for Nick
O for Olivia and Olivier
P for Payton
Q for any Questions?
R for Reese
S for Samantha, Sydney and Sophie
T for That’s all for today
U for are U Up for the 70s?
V for Visitors Patty and Izzy
W for Workout by Johnny
X for Xtra effort
Y for why are there no Y’s?
Z for Zac and Zizou
LETTER TO HIS GOAL
Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is regarded as one of world’s great goalkeepers and his innovative personality came through following a record-breaking performance in last year’s Turin derby. He made history in his team's 4-1 thumping of Torino, breaking the Serie A record for consecutive minutes (973) without conceding a goal. To mark the occasion, the then-38-year-old captain took to social media, penning a heartfelt letter to none other than the goal he’d set out to defend throughout the streak.
BUFFON'S LETTER TO HIS GOAL:
"I was 12 when I turned my back on you, denying my past to guarantee you a safe future....
I went with my heart
I went with my instinct
But the day I stopped looking you in the face is also the day that I started to love you
To protect you
To be your first and last line of defence
I promised myself that I would do everything not to see your face again. Or that I would do it as little as possible. It was painful every time I did, turning round and realising I had disappointed you.
Again
And again.
We have always been opposites yet we are complementary, like the sun and the moon. Forced to live side by side without being able to touch. Team-mates for life, a life in which we are denied all contact
More than 25 years ago I made my vow: I swore to protect you. Look after you. A shield against all your enemies. I’ve always thought about your welfare, putting it first even ahead of my own.
I was 12 when I turned my back on my goal. And I will keep doing it as long as my legs, my head and my heart will allow.”
--Gianluigi Buffon
KeeperTalk
High fives to all players for their exceptional performances during this summer’s Conditioning and Technical Program. As always it was steamy hot, but these warriors responded with great effort and attitudes and, while working around weather delays and soggy areas at times, were able to improve their fitness. Double high fives to Dynamos Trainer Mark Hunter, who spent nearly every minute of every session doing what was demanded of the younger lot, at the same time quietly sharing his wisdom. Also showing up for many sessions and performing awesomely was Director of Training Olivier Finidori and, early on, Trainer Stephen Gonzalez. . .Special guests during July training included Patty Walrath, who participated in the summer sessions many times before going on to a fine college career as a goalkeeper at Houston Baptist University, and Izzy Tullier, a Keeper Club regular until she departed a few years ago to live, and play soccer, in Massachusetts. . .Thanks, too, to the assistance of former Dynamos players Kacie Paine and Kylie Austin, also past participants in the summer fitness program, who went beyond the call of duty to attend camper needs. . .Who was winner of the July drawing for answering the question: in his winning essay for a Dynamos scholarship, who did Taylor Elliott praise for his “fantastic way of coaching.”? The only entry came from Sam Nichols, so she’s the winner, her reply coming the day after a demanding strength program from Johnny Klander at Fitness Camp: “Heyo coach, my quads are still recovering from last night! For the question, Taylor Elliot was praising the famous Roli the Goalie-- Roland Sikinger.” This month’s puzzler (answer elsewhere in this newsletter) is: at what university does Coach Walker claim Confucious was a goalkeeper in 551BC?. Email your entry to jwalker332@aol.com to be included in the July drawing for a brand new soccer ball. All readers are eligible. . .If you have items (photos, anecdotes, game stories) for Keeper!, email to jwalker332@aol.com.
KEEPER LOG
Goalkeepers and field players who attended the Keeper Club’s Conditioning and Technical Program during July 2017:
5—Abbie Bridges, Sydney Cannon, Zac Cannon, Jacob Beachum, Kaileigh Duncan, Karryn Duncan, Victoria Finidori, Jayden Goytia, Grace Ehrenfeld, Brooke Hensley, Claire Juenke, Samantha Nichols, Alex Nichols, Mason Krogh, Ashlyn Rankin, Haelyn Rankin, Mya Trager, Olivia Urrutia. Assisting: Kylie Austin. Guests: Olivier Finidori, Mark Hunter
6—Sydney Cannon, Zac Cannon, Jade Dewbre, Kaileigh Duncan, Karryn Duncan, Victoria Finidori, Jayden Goytia, Keegan Goytia, Grace Ehrenfeld, Brooke Hensley, Claire Juenke, Jacob Beachum, Alex Nichols, Samantha Nichols, Ashlyn Rankin, Haelyn Rankin, Mya Trager, Mark Hunter. Assisting: Kylie Austin; Guest: Patty Walrath.
11—Mya Trager, Reese Schmadeke, Jade Dewbre, Jacob Beachum, Victoria Finidori, Jayden Goytia, Brooke Hensley, Claire Juenke, Karson Funderburk, Brooke Vandemotter, Mason Krogh, Ashley Kimassi, Olivia Urrutia, Sydney Cannon, Steven Franke, Mark Hunter. Assisting: Kylie Austin; Guest: Izzy Tullier (visiting from Massachusetts).
13—Sydney Cannon, Zac Cannon, Mya Trager, Reese Schmadeke, Michelle MacIntyre, Brooke Hensley, Grace Ehrenfeld, Victoria Finidori, Jade Dewbre, Payton Salinas, Kole Smith, Gabe Caprio,
18—Abbie Bridges, Sydney Cannon, Mya Trager, Olivia Urrutia, Kaileigh Duncan, Karryn Duncan, Victoria Finidori, Jayden Goytia, Keegan Goytia, Zac Cannon, Kohen Funderburk, Brooke Hensley, Isobel Herrod, Ashley Kimassi, Alex Nichols, Samantha Nichols, Gabe Caprio, Mark Hunter, Olivier Finidori.
20—Mya Trager, Kaileigh Duncan, Karryn Duncan, Victoria Finidori, Brooke Hensley, Isobel Herrod, Ashley Kimassi, Kohen Funderburk, Karson Funderburk, Michelle MacIntyre, Alexander Nichols, Samantha Nichols, Gabe Caprio, Mark Hunter, Olivier Finidori. Guest: Tina Thorsen
25—Sydney Cannon, Zac Cannon, Mya Trager, Kaileigh Duncan, Karryn Duncan, Jayden Goytia, Keegan Goytia, Grace Ehrenfeld, Steven Franke, Kohen Funderburk, Brooke Hensley. Claire Juenke, Ashley Kimassi, Michelle MacIntyre, Alex Nichols, Samantha Nichols, Ashlyn Rankin, Haelyn Rankin, Payton Salinas, Kole Smith, Olivia Urrutia, Alejandro Flores, Sydeny Schmitt, Mark Hunter, Noah Hunter, Gabe Caprio. Strength program: Johnny Klander; Assisting: Kylie Austin.
27—Kole Smith, Gabe Caprio, Mya Trager, Sydney Cannon, Kaileigh Duncan, Karryn Duncan, Zac Cannon, Jayden Goytia, Grace Ehrenfeld, Michelle MacIntyre, Samantha Nichols, Alex Nichols, Alejandro Flores, Mason Krogh, Sophie Pettus, Mark Hunter
QUOTABLE
“Wherever you go, go with all your heart."--Confucius
(Editor’s note: The above quote was sent to participants in the Summer Conditioning and Technical Program, along with this explanation: Confucius was an early--551 BC--keeper at the Hundred Schools of Thought and believed to be responsible for numerous quotes for which others since have accepted credit, such as "It matters not how slowly you go as long as you do not stop," and “Keeper beaten at near post have nightmare.” Immediately, there was an email response from the Keeper Club’s Sam Nichols: “Hey coach, I uh, don't feel like Confucius said that last quote..... ” The ever-alert Samantha has been hearing those additional two quotes ever since she joined the Keeper Club! You’re busted, Coach Walker!
TIP OF THE MONTH
Care for your gloves: When not in use, store in a small bag or glove wallet for protection from the sun and dust particles. Wash gloves regularly (while wearing) in luke-warm water with a mild detergent, not in a washing machine and do not dry in a dryer. To assure true cleanliness, turn them inside out and wash again. Rinse and hang to dry in a shaded area. To help keep the gloves usable longer, avoid exposing to direct sunlight or heat sources.
KEEPING SECRETS
It is likely that keepers who show superb foot skills at the college level and beyond did not specialize in the position early. Some elite netminders played in the field as well as in goal throughout their youth careers. U.S. national team goalkeepers Tony Meola and Tim Howard both played center forward in high school, which helped them learn to read the game and use their feet. Meola’s work in goal with the ball at his feet was that of a field player, at ease with his right foot and left. His foot skills played a key role in how his teams played the ball out of the back. Hope Solo, winner of an Olympic gold medal in 2008 and the World Cup in 2015 with the U.S. women’s soccer team, scored 109 goals as a forward in high school, and was named Parade All-American twice as a field player. Brad Guzan became a consistent starter in Major League Soccer at a younger age than any previous keeper (before he moved to the English Premier League) after playing in the field for his youth club, Chicago Magic, and for Providence Catholic High School, where he earned all-state honors as a midfielder.
*****
Stay poised. When all else on your team is falling apart, keepers, stay composed through the whole game.