Written and edited by Jim Walker
-- October, 2012
A publication of the Keeper! Club
Written and edited by Jim Walker
OCTOBER TRAINING
at DyessPark
Who We Are:
The Regulars: Keeper Club members 10 years and older doing continuous training
Junior Keepers: Beginning Keeper Club members 10 years and younger
Fee for The Regulars is $50 per eight-week package ($100 if not playing for the Cy-Fair Youth Soccer Club or the Dynamos); Fee for Junior Keepers is $25 per eight-week package. First Fall package runs from August 23 until October 18; second Fall package from October 22 until December 13. To Register for Keeper Club training, please make check payable to "Keeper Club" and mail to: Dynamos, attn: Loree, 10924 Grant Rd., #224, Houston77070. If you have questions, email jwalker332@aol.com or call 281-217-1612.
Here is the schedule for goalkeepers (boys and girls) at DyessPark for October:
PLEASE NOTE: There will be NO training on Mon.,Oct. 22 due to the Dynamos golf tournament, but Roland will make that session up the next day--Tuesday, Oct. 23, at the same time, 8pm.
1--The Regulars, 8pm
4--The Regulars, 5:30pm; Junior Keepers, 6:45pm
8--The Regulars, 8pm
11--The Regulars, 5:30pm; Junior Keepers, 6:45pm
15--The Regulars, 8pm
18--The Regulars, 5:30pm; Junior Keepers, 6:45pm
22--NO TRAINING, DYNAMOS GOLF TOURNAMENT
23--The Regulars, 8pm (makeup date for Oct. 22)
25--The Regulars, 5:30pm; Junior Keepers, 6:45pm
29--The Regulars, 8pm
BYOK WORKSHOP OCT. 14
Tips on working with your goalkeeper, whether you’re a coach or parent, will be the topic of the Keeper Club’s B. Y. O. K. (Bring Your Own Keeper) workshop (it’s free and for all ages) Sun., Oct. 14, at 3:30pm at Dyess Park. Coaches and parents are invited to bring one or more goalkeepers and join in exercises that will assist you in helping them prepare for games. It’s a great opportunity to learn effective ways to warm up keepers prior to games, and discuss how to deal with keeper successes and failures, and how to help them grow in the position. Please register for this free workshop by emailing JWalker332@aol.com if you plan to attend, with names and ages of keepers you will bring.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR GOLF
Tournament Director Kreg Barrett and Volunteer Coordinator Rachel Fritz are looking for folks to assist with the Dynamos' Marty Espinoza Memorial golf tournament, scheduled for Mon., Oct. 22, at Longwood Golf Club. The Dynamos' fundraiser is a fun event and volunteers are needed for set up and event activities. They can use your help for a few hours or for the full day, which begins about noon. If you are interested, please contact Rachel at gfritz1@comcast.net.
KICK CANCER CAMPS SET
The Dynamos again will host the Kick Kids Cancer Camp, which benefits children's cancer research, at DyessPark, Dec. 14, 15, and 16. Originated by Houston media personality Glenn Davis three years ago, the camp features appearances by professional players and an all-star array of area trainer to work with boys and girls from pre-school age to teens. Registration information will be available soon.
MORE STATS ON KEEPERS?
(Ridge Mahoney of Soccer America states a case for the introduction of more statistics for goalkeeper performances. What are your thoughts?)
Perusing all statistical categories by which one can evaluate players, it strikes me that the most specialized position--goalkeepers--is being underserved. Remember a few years ago when Major League Soccer introduced the "C/P" stat? Short for "catch/punch," it attempted to quantify the times a keeper snagged or repelled a cross or centering ball and thus defused a scoring opportunity. It was rather roundly ridiculed and no longer is featured as a goalkeeping stat, but I thought it had merit, in concept anyway. Any time a goalkeeper thwarts a scoring chance without making an actual save, whether by coming off his line to snare a corner kick or clearing a ball with his feet outside the penalty area, he's done much the same thing. Some keepers are much better at it than others. A few keepers stick to their goal lines and rely on defenders to clear balls, others are more assertive and regularly intervene. These are not officially save situations, since the ball isn't headed toward the frame of the goal, but they can be just as important. By the same token, if he bobbles a cross or scuffs a clearance or otherwise misplays a ball an opponent can collect, the keeper should be punished statistically. Call it a gaffe or a flub or a bobble or whatever, any time a keeper provides an opponent with possession it wouldn't otherwise have gained, it should be logged and recorded. No need to require the opponent to capitalize by actually scoring; in baseball, if a fielder throws or kicks the ball away and thus benefits runners and/or the batter, he's charged with an error. Most of the modern statistical services included "giveaways" or "passes intercepted" or "duels lost" for field players. Goalkeepers need something similar, as well as positive stats such as "collections"--though this sounds more like an agency of bruisers rounding up unpaid debts--and "clearances." In the most egregious instances, a keeper fouls an opponent or commits an offense and is punished by a free kick or penalty kick as well as a yellow or red card. Two weeks ago, RealSaltLake goalie Nick Rimando clattered into Houston's Mac Kandji in stoppage time and gave away the penalty kick by which the Dynamo took a vital 1-0 victory. In this situation, no additional stats are necessary. Foul, penalty kick: the dire consequences of Rimando's misplay were quite apparent. But what if a keeper gives a ball away and provides the opponent an opportunity to score, as Rimando did in the 42nd minute of RSL's Concacaf Champions League match against Tauro FC Tuesday night? Rimando eventually salvaged his giveaway by stopping Rolando Botello's shot, for which he was credited with a save, yet nothing on the stat sheet indicated his culpability. Make no mistake, these goalkeeping quirks are scouted and factored into a team's game plan. One of the most vivid examples came in the opening game of the 2002 World Cup, for which in a scouting report of Portugal, the first USA opponent, was included the fact keeper Victor Baia had only recently returned from a long-term injury and should be tested as early and often as possible. His bobbles and fumbles and futile flaps, while not leading directly to a goal, played a major role as the Americans built a 3-0 lead and eventually won, 3-2. This isn't meant to pick on Rimando, it's only meant to illustrate the nuances of this position. He's one of the best keepers in league history and among the toughest on penalty kicks as well. In the Houston game, prior to the foul on Kandji, he'd stopped an earlier penalty kick, which ran his all-time league best mark to 17 saved (out of 57 attempted). That's an impressive stat, yet more numbers are needed to evaluate goalkeepers, who by the nature of their position are confronted by more crucial situations than any other player.--Ridge Mahoney, Soccer America
KEEPERTALK
High fives to the Keeper! Club's senior keepers--Kacie Paine, Kennedy McGill, Nate Dunkley, Kaylee Barrett, Aaron Austin and Braden Mann for their leadership and mentorship to younger keepers during regular training sessions. In quiet, unimposing ways, all have offered tips and words of encouragement and in some cases remained afterward to work with Junior Keepers, upholding a Keeper Club tradition harking back 20 years. Proud of all of you!. . .Keeper Club alum Sabrina Pasier and her St. Edward's University women's club team made a six-hour auto trip to play TAMU-Texarkana Sept. 28 and came away with a 3-0 victory. . .Daylight Saving Time doesn't end this year until Nov. 4, when we move clocks back an hour. . .The Keeper! Club's 18th annual Christmas party is scheduled for Thurs., Dec. 13, at DyessPark. As is traditional, there will be a training session, followed by Pizza and Powerade, and other tasty treats and the annual Krazy Keeper gift exchange.
We welcome goalkeepers, coaches, and parents to share thoughts with us about this special position of soccer. Photos, clippings, letters, anecdotes and other thoughts will be accepted for publication. Simply email to jwalker332@aol.com.
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Keeper Club's Steven Franke goes high to tip shot over bar for Cypress Cyclones
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Wearing Hope Solo green, Kaylee Barrett distributes sharply to a Dynamos
teammate.
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Kacie Paine, U17 Dynamos and Langham Creek HS keeper, refines her technique
at training.
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TRAINING LOG
Goalkeepers who attended Keeper Club training sessions during September:
3--Labor Day, no training
6--Aaron Austin, Ethan Rimbey, Maddie Saucedo, Cameron Rieth, Joseph Majeski, Mia Posey, Allyson Crouch, Steven Franke, Marissa Mills; Junior Keepers: Samuel Saucedo, Maison Bell, Isabelle Tullier, Ethan Urrutia
10--Ethan Rimbey, Isea Gonzalez, Kacie Paine and Braden Mann.
13--Stormy Weather--Fields closed
17--Stormy Weather--Fields closed
20--Dieterik Hunsche, Maddie Saucedo, Joseph Majeski, Steven Franke, Cameron Rieth, Marissa Mills, Aaron Austin, Ethan Rimbey; Junior Keepers: Maison Bell, Isabelle Tullier, Samuel Saucedo. Assisting: Maddie Saucedo
24-- Alex Sanchez, Ethan Rimbey, Brady Stonebraker, Nate Dunkley, and Isea Gonzalez.
27--Ethan Rimbey, Mia Posey, Dieterik Hunsche, Kacie Paine, Steven Franke, Cameron Rieth, Marissa Mills, Jason Marsh; Junior Keepers: Isabelle Tullier, Maison Bell, Colby McAlister. Ayden Bridges
KEEPER KWIPS
***Former professional goalkeeper Roland Sikinger once invited a father and his son to dinner. At the table, there were the father, the son, and the goalie host.
***Knock, knock. Who's there? Lettuce. Lettuce who? Lettuce get this game started.
***Knock, knock. Who's there? FIFA. FIFA who? FIFA FO FUM
***Knock, knock. Who's there? Grammar. Grammar who? Grammar and grampa are big soccer fans.
***Knock, knock. Who's there? Year! Year who? Year offside!
OVERHEARD AT TRAINING
Coach Jim: How are you today? Keeper: I'm tired! Coach Jim: Seems everybody says that before training. Keeper: Yes, but I'm more tired than everybody else.
Coach Jim: Why aren't you diving to your left? Keeper: I would, coach, you know that, but today my IPOD is in my left pocket!
Coach Jim: Why aren't you doing those situps, Keep? Keeper: I can't today, Coach, a mosquito bit me on the behind!
Coach Jim: (noting goalkeeper is wearing only one glove): Do you have another pair like that in your bag, Keep? Keeper: Haha, no, I forgot one glove today
QUOTABLE
"The expert at anything was once a beginner."--Hayes, on Expertise
TIP OF THE MONTH
Neglecting field training is a mistake, especially at a young age. Goalkeepers need to keep up their field skills; they need to be able to control, dribble, and pass the ball at all ages. Being involved in field training also lessens the chance that a keeper will be surprised by a move he has never seen before, because he will have learned it with other players ot team training.
KEEPING SECRETS
A keeper's ability to read the game and make the correct decision is vital, for it is these decisions that determine if the keeper is in the right spot to make a play. Talent and ability mean little if the keeper is constantly out of position, or mentally switched off. This type of keeper makes basic plays dangerous ones, and dangerous situations dire ones. Proficiency in the simple things will lead to good soccer and holds true particularly for goalkeepers. The ability to focus for the duration of the game requires the mental wherewithal that can only be developed over time in an environment where proper balance can be struck between match play, evalulation and training--John Murphy
JUST SAY 'NO!' TO GOALS
Read more http://dynamossoccer.com/KeeperClub/Keeper/tabid/375/newsid744/189/KEEPER--Vol-19-No-10/Default.aspx