Dynamos Soccer - KEEPER! Vol. 19, No. 3

Thursday, 01 March, 2012 (2136 reads)

Written and edited by Jim Walker

March, 2012

A publication of the Keeper Club

Written and edited by Jim Walker

MARCH TRAINING

Keeper training schedule at Dyess Park for March:

1—Regular keeper training, 5:30pm; Junior Keepers, 6:45pm

5—Regular keeper training, 6:45pm

8—Regular keeper training, 5:30pm; Junior Keepers, 6:45pm

12—Regular keeper training, 6:45pm

15—Regular keeper training, 5:30pm; Junior Keepers, 6:45pm

19—Bring Your Own Keeper workshop, 4pm

22—Regular keeper training, 6:45pm

23—Regular keeper training, 5:30pm; Junior Keepers, 6:45pm

26—Regular keeper training, 6:45pm

29--Regular keeper training, 5:30pm; Junior Keepers, 6:45pm

Regular keeper training, open to boys and girls 10 years and older; Junior Keeper to beginning keepers 10 years and younger. Roland Sikinger conducts training on Mondays; Jim Walker on Thursdays. Fee for regular training is $50 per ten-week package ($100 if not playing for the Cy-Fair Youth Soccer Club or the Dynamos). Fee for Junior Keepers is $25 per ten-week package. Spring packages are: Jan. 5 through March 15, and March 19 through May 24. Please make check payable to “Keeper Club” and mail to: Dynamos, attn: Loree, 10924 Grant Rd., #224, Houston 77070.

SUN, FUN AT BYOK 　

Blue skies and cool temps prevailed at beautiful downtown Dyess Park Feb. 19 as parents and coaches delivered 16 goalkeepers for participation in the BYOK (Bring Your Own Keeper) workshop. Savannah Mallon, of the Under-16 Dynamos, assisted by taking the keepers for a warmup run and stretch while moderator Jim Walker oriented the adults, reminding one and all that goalkeepers need to be "loved, not yelled at," and that development at the position is a slow process needing positive reinforcement. Everyone then moved to field number seven, the dryest one leftover from the steady rain of previous days, for activities ranging from individual ball exercises to working in pairs. Collapse diving, positioning, and penalty kicks also were discussed. After an hour and a half, each keeper left with gifts and prizes that included soccer balls, glove bags, "I Am A Keeper" t-shirts, Puma shoestrings, and player cards. Thanks to Savannah, Ranger Jonathan, Michael Majeski, and Dylan Barquero and his dad for their assistance in making another BYOK successful. Keepers attending: Parker Wedel, Joseph Bautista, Weston Meyers, Joseph Majeski, Ryan Lingner, Charlie Scoggins, Hannah Kissamis, Valerie Espitia, Chelsea Laughrun, Dylan Barquero, Isabelle Tullier, Faith Mackey, Ethan Anderson, Alex Reilly, Andy Esquivel, and Jacob Ortiz.

KEEPER KWIZ

Maddie Saucedo, a keeper for the under-11 Dynamos, edged out collegian Jonathan Kauffman for the prize of a $25 gift card to Soccer-4-All in last month’s puzzler by correctly responding that a Keeper's Dozen is 15 and the reason why--that keepers are special. For entering the Keeper Kwiz all the way from Conway, Arkansas, where he is attending Central Baptist College, Keeper Club alumnus wins a consolation prize--a pair of Puma shoestrings and the player card of Major League Soccer keeper Kevin Hartman, who plays for FC Dallas. Thanks, Jonathan, for staying in touch with the Keeper Club! Now, for this week's chance for a $25 gift certificate: complete this sentence--"when you're not practicing, _____ ___ _." All you need to do to be eligible for the drawing is fill in the blanks and email your answer (which can be found elsewhere in this newsletter) to jwalker332@aol.com. Anyone reading this newsletter is eligible for the drawing.

MATT HARVEY INTERRED

Former Keeper Club member and Dynamos player Matt Harvey was buried at the Houston National Cemetery February 15 after services at Cypress United Methodist Church. Sgt. First Class Harvey, 29, was a Purple Heart recipient and holder of several distinguished service medals after two tours in Iraq. He was killed Feb. 5 in an off-duty auto accident in Germany while on assignment with the 10th Special Forces Airborne Group. Matt's sister, Amanda, also played for the Dynamos and now is a pastor in Humble. "Matt was fearless as a keeper and one of the hardest workers we've had," said Coach Walker, "His military buddies reported that he was a fine leader and always looking to be out front in every situation. He was like that as a keeper, always wanting to be in the thick of it for his team."

HALL WORKING HARD

Tally Hall of the Houston Dynamo knows being a goalkeeper in Major League Soccer is about more than stopping shots. With that in mind, the 6-4, 205-pounder is becoming more of a vocal presence for the defense while continuing to improve his footwork on goal kicks, trapping balls, and clearing the ball with precise passes. "I feel confident in what I can do, but it's never a comfortable thing," Hall said. "The goalkeepers are too good behind me to really be comfortable. I know I have to keep working and be a better goalkeeper. If I'm not improving then they are, and they are going to catch up. I have to constantly work and fight for my spot."--Jose de Jesus Ortiz, Houston Chronicle

KEEPERTALK

Kaylee Barrett and Kennedy McGill faced each other in the Puma Cup twice and their teams battled hard to the end in both. Kaylee and the U15 girls prevailed each time by 1-0 scores for two of the four shutouts she chalked up in the tournament. Kennedy played well each time, too, and her U14 teammates pressured throughout the second half as both keepers played with confidence. . .Allyson Crouch, Mia Posey, and Maddie Saucedo saw important keeper action for their Academy teams in the Puma Cup. . . Steven Franke was a busy keeper for the U11 Cypress Cyclones in the Puma Cup, going all the way to the championship game where they bowed in a shootout. . .Braden Mann returned from a serious back injury with a valiant effort in the Puma Cup as his U15 Dynamos came back from a 1-0 loss to tie, 1-1, then won 4-3, missing the final by two points. . .Kenzie Peterson adds to her athletic resume, which already includes soccer and basketball, by being a pole vaulter for the track team at Willow Wood Junior High. . .New Keeper Club members include Peyton Elliott and Payton Salinas, causing Coach Walker to mull over nicknames for each of them, so when he calls their names they both don't respond. . .Welcome back to Cameron Rieth, who returns from field player to again keeping goal for the U13 Dynamos Silver. . .Welcome to Ethan Urrutia and Tran Do, newest members of the Junior Keepers. And high fives to other Junior Keeper members--Izzy Tullier, Bryce and Wyatt Fredrickson, and Colby McAlister--for their continued focus and hard work. . .Jonathan Kauffman, a junior goalkeeper at Central Baptist College in Conway, Arkansas, is coaching goalkeepers 9 to 14 years old for the nearby Greenbrier Youth Soccer Club. . .How would you like to face 25 penalty kicks in a shootout? Keepers did it for two California high school teams that tied 3-3 in a sectional playoff game between Bishop's of LaJolla and San Diego Crawford during February. It took two days and 50 kicks to determine the outcome. The teams traded penalties through the round of 21 until it was too dark to continue and still no winner--each side had scored 18 times and missed three. The game resumed the next day with more pk's and finally, on the 49th kick overall, Matt Harris delivered the game winner for Bishop's, and Crawford missed a final attempt. The coaches had wanted to play an entire game Wednesday, but the scholastic association ruled that penalty kicks would continue until a winner was declared. . .Please send items of interest for Keeper! or for KeeperTalk, to jwalker332@aol.com.

TRAINING LOG

Names of keepers who attended training during February:

2--Rhett Fields

6--Samantha Adrianson, Ethan Brasher, Kacie Paine, Mallory Majewski

9--Aaron Austin, Maddie Saucedo, Braden Mann, Mia Posey, Allyson Crouch, Kennedy McGill, Peyton Salinas, Rodrigo Silos, Steven Franke, Ethan Brasher, Kenzie Peterson; Junior Keepers: Bryce Fredrickson, Wyatt Fredrickson, Isabelle Tullier, Colby McAllister, Brady Stonebraker

13--Evy Raines

16--Allyson Crouch, Kenzie Peterson, Peyton Elliott; Junior Keepers: Isabelle Tullier, Jadyn Helm

20-- Payton Salinas, Ethan Brasher, and Samantha Adrianson.

23--Payton Salinas, Peyton Elliott, Ethan Brasher, Mia Posey, Kenzie Peterson, Allyson Crouch, Kennedy McGill, Braden Mann, Aaron Austin, Maddie Saucedo, Steven Franke, Cameron Reith; Junior Keepers: Tran Do, Bryce Fredrickson, Wyatt Fredrickson, Isabelle Tullier, Colby McAllister, Ethan Urrutia

27--Brady Stonebraker. Braden Mann. Ethan Brasher, Samantha Adrianson, Payton Salinas, Mallory Majewski, Kacie Paine, Nate Dunkley

WHEN YOU'RE NOT PRACTICING. . .

. . .someone else is. Two small village soccer teams engaged in a match. The visitors were surprised to see that the home team's goalkeeper was a horse. The horse played extremely well and was instrumental in a home team victory. After the game, the visiting captain asked the home captain: "How on earth did a horse learn to keep goal like that?" "How does anybody learn?" replied the home captain, "practice, practice, practice."

QUOTABLE

"I took about a week off after the November [post-season] camp and then got into yoga and working out all the time There's really no off-season when you reach my age. It's not as fun as it used to be, let's just say that. If I don't get to bed by 11 or midnight, I'm in trouble."--Vancouver Whitecaps' 37-year-old Joe Cannon, starting his 14th season in Major League Soccer, on staying sharp.

TIP OF THE MONTH

Boxing, or punching, with two fists, rather than one, is the safest method. The contact area is larger and there is more strength with two. Distance is an important quality of a boxed ball. In certain situations the ball must be played with one fist, for example when the keeper is caught in traffic or when the ball is coming from the side and the keeper must keep its direction to play it over the heads of opponents. There is a longer reach with one, but the loss of playing surface and power make this risky. Keepers must perfect this technique in order to attain the next level of play.

KEEPING SECRETS

"You can't put a price on leadership, but a team lacking it will underachieve. If this is something you as a goalkeeper can bring to the team, develop and utilize it to reach your full potential and to help the team reach theirs."--Goalkeeper Guru Tony DiCicco