Training continues in April on Mondays (5:30pm) with Roland Sikinger and Thursdays (5:30pm) with Jim Walker. Fee for regular training in 2010 remains at $50 ($100 if not playing for Cy-Fair Youth Soccer Club or Dynamos) for 10 weeks of sessions. Please make check payable to Keeper Club and mail to Dynamos, attn: Loree, 10924 Grant Rd. #224, Houston 77070. For more information, email JWalker332@aol.com or phone 281-217-1612.

 

It’s getting close to that time of year again--tryouts begin in May for boys and girls seeking to land spots on under-11 teams, and June for under-12 teams and above. The Dynamos are inviting all players looking for the best training in the Houston area to visit Dyess Park on the following dates:

Goalkeepers and other players trying out should report one-half hour early to sign up and receive a number on the first day of each tryout. Those trying out are asked to wear t-shirts and shorts, but not team uniforms. Keepers should bring gloves, long-sleeved jersey, a ball, and his or her own water, and wear comfortable shoes. Shin guards are required. You may or may not be asked to participate in a special session for keepers only. If not, you will be judged on your skills during short-sided and full-sided games. The Dynamos program is built on player development and is not lip service to people like Director Olivier Finidori, Head trainer Marty Espinoza, Freeman Turkson, Roland Sikinger, Chris Wells and Lauren Wells who will be making the decisions. Players who show promise and dedication to the game of soccer are given every opportunity to ripen their talents and reach their highest potential. For more information about the Dynamos program and tryouts, call Olivier at 713-304-5060 or email him at dynamo14@sbcglobal.net.

 

Keeper Club members are urged to mark your calendar for this summer’s Keeper! Club Goalkeeper Camp, scheduled for August 12-14 at Dyess Park. The camp features quality instruction, an official camp t-shirt, daily prizes, and an end-of-camp pizza and Powerade lunch. The fee is $125, with a discount for paid-up Keeper Club members. Camp times are 5pm until 8pm on Thursday and Friday (August 12, 13) and 9am until noon on Saturday (August 14). The full schedule of Dynamos Summer Soccer Camps:

Huzzahs to Roland Sikinger and his staff for a superb job teaching the position at the Spring Break Goalkeeper Camp. Conditions weren’t ideal, with a dry, hard, surface the first day and a succession of soft ground, rain, then indoors on cement, the second day. A small, but focused group, aged nine to 17, made the most of it, thanks to Roly the Goalie and a cast of enthusiastic collegiate assistants, Kelly Sikinger and John Kowalczyk from Sam Houston State University, and Jonathan Kauffman from Ouachita Baptist University. “A great way to end Spring Break,” mumbled one keeper while improving abs. That quote may have been uttered cynically, but later while feasting on pizza, Powerade, cupcakes and cookies, the same keeper enthused, “What a great way to end Spring Break!” Staff members all gave a big hand to the enthusiasm and focus of attendees Samantha Adrianson, Marissa Mills, Kaitrin Miller, Maddie Saucedo, Hannah Saucedo, Ronni Pierce, Patty Walrath, Francesco Lo Sauro. Making possible prize drawings of Houston Dynamo soccer balls was an anonymous donor (hint: Joe B.) and serving up lunch were Jennifer Miller and son, Connor. Thanks, too, to James Miller for his assistance on the first day of camp.

 

This issue of Keeper! is emailed to those who requested it. It will continue to be posted at www.dynamossoccer.com (click Keeper Club and “Here” for the newsletter). If you wish to receive it by email, send an email to jwalker332@aol.com with the words “Please email.” It is important that serious goalkeepers read the newsletter, as it carries valuable tips on playing and updates on Keeper Club activities.

 

Coach Walker: “How did you find school today?”

Keeper: “It was easy. I just jumped off the bus and there it was.”

***

Patty: “What season is it when you are on a trampoline?”

Veronica: “Oh I know that! Spring time!”

 

Are there not... Two points in the adventure of the diver: One--when a beggar, he prepares to plunge? Two--when a prince, he rises with his pearl? I plunge!--Robert Browning, a nineteenth century poet and playwright. Presumably not a goalkeeper, Bob knew something about diving.

Veronica Pierce will be missed when she moves to New Mexico at the end of the school year. The Cy-Ranch HS keeper will join a high school in Farmington for her senior year. . .Add Francesco Lo Sauro to the uncommon number of keepers suffering finger injuries recently. Cecio received his when a ball bounced awkwardly. Though he was still unable to catch, Cecio attended the Spring Break Keeper Camp, doing everything except saving and expects to be back in action by April. . .First-time keeper camp attendees were sisters Maddie and Hannah Saucedo, who impressed with their athleticism and willingness to learn. . .Former Keeper Club member Cara Blais is a second-year student in petroleum engineering at the University of Texas. . .Patty Walrath completed her high school career in the first round of the UIL playoffs as Cy-Woods HS bowed to Westwood HS in Austin, 2-1. Patty will be a freshman at Houston Baptist University in the fall. . .Facebook has become a regular stop for a number of Keeper Club alumni, including John Kowalzyck, Kevin Atnip, Cara Blais, Jamila Gbeisch, Brandon Renken, Heather Koudelka, Kerry Pierce, Mari Edwards, Ashley Salisbury, Jonathan Kauffman, and Adam O’Neal. . .If you have items for Keeper! or KeeperTalk, please email JWalker332@aol.com or call 281-217-1612.

 

Listing of players who attended training at Dyess Park in March:

Since joining Everton, America’s Tim Howard’s English Premier League’s individual struggles as a goalkeeper seem like ages ago, when he was dropped as Manchester United’s starting keeper in just his second season with the club. Now he’s one of the club’s best players and one of the best in the league. “I think he’s improved with age,” said Everton manager David Moyes, who brought Howard from Manchester United in the summer of 2006. “He’s become a very consistent goalkeeper, which is probably the key to being a top goalkeeper, that you don’t make mistakes, that you’re not getting done with blunders and howlers. We rely on him a lot here. “He’s a leader, and I can see that happening with the USA team as well. I can see Tim Howard becoming one of the main players and one of the players a lot of the pool look up to.” Howard’s professional future is very much tied to Everton, having signed a new five-year contract with the Toffees last year. While he can foresee playing out his career at Everton, he admits to being open to the idea of returning to Major League Soccer, where he began his professional career in 1998 with the then-New York/New Jersey MetroStars (now known as the New York Red Bull). He recently turned 31 and believes that the end of his current contract, when he'll be 35, will be a good time to assess whether a return to MLS makes sense.--Soccer America

With the USA and England facing each other in their 2010 World Cup opener in June, recollections of their previous World Cup clash--a shocking 1-0 U.S. win in 1950--continue to stream in. This time it's England keeper Bert Williams, now 90 years old. "It's been 60 years," said Williams, who was beaten by Joe Gaetjens. "It's taken a lot of forgetting as far as I am concerned. As soon as England played a good ball through, the whole American team retreated to the 18-yard line,'' said Williams. ''You could hardly see their goal. We hit the crossbar and the upright three times to my knowledge but we could not get the ball past this crowd of players.'' Williams, who played 24 times for England, said, ''We thought the score should have been 8-1, 10-1 even--and I was virtually one of the spectators. . .I don't remember a great deal about the goal. I had the ball covered and it was a deflection off one of their players standing in front of me. I was going the right way. It just happened.'' England was eliminated after losing its next game to Spain, 1-0. ''I think what lost us the match against Spain was the utter dejection from losing 1-0 to the Americans," Williams said. "Our spirits were so low. I felt sorry for everyone who was on that tour."--From Soccer America

“Experience for keepers is very important. Goalkeepers have the privilege of knowing when experience takes over–which is when your mind does what your body used to do–you can play to a more advanced age, as long as your reflexes stay reasonably sharp. For example, both Pat Onstad and Kasey Keller take care (of themselves) and have experience so now the ball seems to hit them a lot more because their positioning is good, their angles are good.”--Seattle Sounders Coach Sigi Schmid

Calling for a back pass doesn’t have to be a dangerous thing if you prepare for it. A keeper can help relieve pressure on the defense controlling the ball by foot and passing it, clearing it, or switching the field if there is space on the opposite side. Call for the ball in a loud, demanding voice and make clear the urgency of playing it early. The keeper should show for the ball by moving to the side of the goal and outside the six-yard box, and indicating which foot they‘d like to receive the ball.

 

When receiving the ball from one side of the field, consider changing the attack to the other side to take advantage of space created by the opponent’s attack on goal. By executing quickly, you can initiate the attack by beating the opponent’s transition in their attempt to pressure the ball and provide cover and balance. The keeper should distribute the ball to the point where his own team can easily start the attack and where it causes the opponent to make the most defensive adjustments.